Wish Me Monsters
by woodnotes
Summary: Rika the Vampire Slayer has been missing for over a year. Will she and Sam find each other again? Can she help the Winchesters deal with the consequences of the Devil's Gate opening? Sequel to "How To Save A Life". AU, Supernatural season 3, Sam/OFC.
1. Prologue: Monster

**A/N: **First I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to read my first fic, How To Save A Life. This story, Wish Me Monsters, is a sequel to that story. The story begins during the first episode of Supernatural season 3, the prologue a little earlier - ten months before the first chapter. I'd love to get reviews and hear your opinions about this story, so I know how to improve. I'll be following the basic storyline of Supernatural season 3, and throw in some touches of BtVS as well as some cases for them that weren't on the show, just to make the story more mine. AU.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing of Supernatural or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, nor anything you may recognize from the shows. Neither do I own any of the songs used as inspiration for the story. I only own Rika and my own writing + ideas.

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**Prologue - Monster**

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_His little whispers, love me, love me  
That's all I ask for, love me, love me  
He battered his tiny fists to feel something  
Wondered what it's like to touch and feel something_

Monster  
How should I feel?  
Creatures lie here  
Looking through the window

That night he caged her  
Bruised and broke her  
He struggled closer  
Then he stole her  
Violet wrists and then her ankles  
Silent pain  
Then he slowly saw their nightmares were his dreams.

I will  
Hear their voices  
I'm a glass child  
I am Hannah's regrets

Turn the sheets down.  
Murder ears with pillow lace  
There's bath tubs  
Full of glow flies  
Bathe in kerosene  
Their words tattooed in his veins, yeah  
Meg & Dia - Monster

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_Ten months earlier_

Rika was sitting on the cliffs at the beach near her childhood home, with her eyes closed. She listened to the screeching from the seagulls that were flying somewhere above her head and to the sound of the reeds swaying in the wind. She could smell the salty water and she felt the chilly breeze on her face. She was back home. At that very moment, she felt at peace. However, she wasn't fully enjoying the Finnish archipelago, not the way she used to when she was younger. Back then she could lay on the beach for hours during those lazy summer days when she was still an innocent child, swimming, laughing, at ease. It was almost September and the weather was getting colder. Summer was almost over in Finland, the trees were starting to shed their leaves and a cold wind was blowing from the north. Rika didn't want summer to end, the coldness of winter was not something she enjoyed even though she was used to it.

Now, she had seen too much. She was never going to look at the world like she once had again. After Hugh, her watcher, was killed by some demons, and Sam, the only man she had ever loved, had left to continue hunting with his brother she had been in pieces. She had spent a couple of months trying to piece herself back together, fully concentrating on finishing college. She suppressed Sam out of her head, even though she wanted nothing more than to be in his arms again. But she needed time, so she didn't contact him or Dean in any way. After graduation she had flown back to visit her family, like she had promised her mother. Now, she had been back at the Finnish countryside for about a couple of month. Everything had been quiet on the slaying front. Maybe she had tried to avoid it, or the demons had better places to be than here, but inside she knew the slayer was who she was. She couldn't change that.

The council had tried to contact her about setting her up with a new watcher. But Hugh was gone, and he could never be replaced, so she kindly turned the council down. _"I quit"_, she had told them. "_I'm not working for you people anymore. I guess you could call me an entrepreneur now."_ There had been some protests, but she had just hung up.

Somehow, she still felt guilty about Hugh's death, and the voices in her head kept getting louder and louder. It was at this very moment, at the beach, that Rika knew what she had to do to get the voices of guilt out of her head. She got up from the cliffs and walked towards her old bicycle, leaning against a big rock, with determined steps. She needed to find out more about who she was.

-----

Sam was getting worried. He and Dean were currently staying at a motel in a small town near Chicago where they were investigating a possible haunting in an old house. This wasn't the reason he was worried, though. It was now early September, and he hadn't heard a word from Rika in months. He had been trying to track her down, but it was almost as if she had vanished off the face of the earth. _"She can't be dead_", he thought. _"She just can't." _He had been trying to reach her, but her United States cellphone was out of use, and he had no other number. He didn't even know where her parents lived, and her watcher was dead so he couldn't give them any information. Now he was sitting on his bed in the motel room, with his laptop in his lap, trying to see if there was any word of her online. He had lost count of how many times he had refreshed her Facebook page, but she hadn't been online in months. He had tried emailing her, but he kept getting delivery failure notifications. He had tried every contact he had, but no hunters had spotted a petite, blonde girl fighting vampires or demons anywhere.

"Did you find out anything about her yet?", Dean suddenly asked. He had been pacing around the room.

"No, nothing. Nobody's heard anything about Rika, there's just nothing there, you know?", Sam said and heard how sad his voice was. "It's almost as if she's gone up in smoke. Maybe I should just give up, she might be dead for all I know." He suddenly felt the familiar sting of pain in his heart, a pain he had been feeling since he left her. "Maybe I shouldn't have left her."

"Sam, don't beat yourself up", Dean said. "I doubt she's dead, if there's one thing that girl can do, it's taking care of herself. We'll find her when she wants to be found. You shouldn't doubt for a second that she doesn't love you though, I saw it in her eyes when we left the second time."

Sam sighed knowing that Dean was right. Maybe it was time to let go. If it was meant to be, they would find each other again. No matter how much it was hurting, he had to trust her and have some faith. He ripped a corner of a paper that was lying on the bed, and wrote some words on it. Then he opened the prayer box Rika had given him and put the piece of paper inside.

"_God, please keep her safe and bring her back to me",_ it said.

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**A/N: **That's the prologue for you guys, the first chapter is coming up and it'll be much longer than the prologue. :) Reviews are most definitely sexier than Sam and Dean on a hunt.


	2. Memories: The Magnificent Seven I

**A/N:** I mention something about Rika getting back to Europe and if you don't understand that, don't worry. Explanation will follow in a later chapter. ;)

I suggest you read my story "How To Save A Life" before starting to read this one, it'll make much more sense, I promise. ;) I'll just break it down for you fast: In "How To Save A Life", Sam meets Rika in Boston. She's a vampire slayer who was called when Buffy died in "The Gift". They team up to kill a demon, and Sam and Rika get involved romantically. However, Rika's watcher, Hugh, burns his own house down and dies since he's possessed by a demon. Sam and Dean left Rika to continue hunting, and she was left in pieces dealing with her watcher's death.

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**  
Chapter 1 - Memories (The Magnificent Seven Part I)**

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_  
In this world you tried  
Not leaving me alone behind  
There's no other way  
I pray to the gods let him stay  
The memories ease the pain inside  
And now I know why_

_All of my memories keep you near  
In silent moments  
Imagine you being here  
All of my memories keep you near  
In silent whispers, silent tears_

_Made me promise I'd try  
To find my way back in this life  
Hope there is a way  
To give me a sign you're okay  
Reminds me again it's worth it all  
So I can go home_

_Together in all these memories  
I see your smile  
All of the memories I hold dear  
Darling you know I'll love you  
'Til the end of time_  
Within Temptation - Memories

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_Ten months later - London, England_

Rika walked into a sleazy bar in downtown London. It was a cold night, despite the fact that it was supposed to be summer. She had gotten used to the rainy weather in England, it reminded her slightly of home. She sighed. The bar was hidden at the back of an even sleazier alley, and unless you knew what you were looking for, nobody would ever enter that alley voluntarily and stumble upon the bar. It was called Bowties, which was kind of ironic since the people who visited it probably hadn't seen a bowtie in their life. It was a gathering place for demon hunters. Even though hunters by nature weren't that sociable and usually worked alone or in pairs, Bowties was a good place to get some news about what was going on in the supernatural realm. Not to mention getting a drink to drown their sorrows in cheap booze and ease the open wounds for a moment. Hunters usually had a personal past with the supernatural, a big loss for instance, hunting was their way to get closure.

After getting back to Europe, Rika had found herself spending a couple of weeks in London. There were a lot of demons and vampires and other creatures to kill: the big city, the nightlife and all the dark alleys seemed to draw them in. She had just wiped out an entire nest with vampires, there were seven of them, feasting on innocent human victims. Now Rika felt like she needed a drink, and maybe see if there was anything special going on. She tried to avoid Bowties since it turned her thoughts towards Sam. He probably thought she was dead by now, she hadn't yet contacted him. He and Dean were quite famous, even outside of America, among hunters and word travelled fast. It was the only way she knew they were still alive. She missed Sam like crazy, and after all these months she was still hurting inside, painfully in love with him, which was why she didn't want to think of him. It had been more than a year since she last saw him, during that painful and tearful goodbye after her watcher had died and Rika nearly killed Sam and Dean while being possessed by the demon that killed her watcher.

However, she always found herself back at the bar, no matter whether she intended to or not.

Before walking through the doors she had, like always, pulled up the hood of the shirt she was wearing underneath her brown leather jacket. It was part of her attempts to lay low and not draw that much attention to herself. She always wore a red wig out in public, masking her true hair color. She also had a fake nose piercing and brown contact lenses. She had figured that if she was going to wear a disguise she might as well make it a bit edgier than her usual self. She didn't want to be found, not yet. Most hunters knew of her, but they never asked any questions. Some of them had tried hitting on her, but she always turned them down and they stopped trying after a while - getting the hint that she wanted to be left alone. She pretended to be one of them, not revealing her true slayer identity.

She walked up to the counter and sat down on one of the bar stools.

"Good evenin' Marie", Tom, the bartender, said with his Scottish accent. He was an older man, retired hunter, with grey hair and a slight beer belly. She liked him, and he had told her many stories during the long nights she had spent sitting at the bar. She called herself Marie Girard now, pretending to be a French hunter, another attempt at hiding her true identity. "The usual?"

She nodded and he handed her a glass of whiskey which she then took a sip of. She grimaced, even though she had gotten one every night she still hated the taste. It eased her hurt for a moment though, so it was worth it. She was never drunk, just got that one glass. When she was back in her motel room the pain was back again, worse than ever. She had thought she could escape it, but it had been a bust so far. She had no idea what to do anymore, she just kept getting more lost every second that passed. She missed her old, happy and carefree self, the bubbly personality she had managed to maintain even after becoming the slayer. She had changed so much the past year, and she wasn't still quite sure she liked the new her with all these mixed emotions in her head.

"You're not really much with words tonight, am I right?", Tom asked her with a glance while cleaning a glass with his towel.

"No, not really", she replied with a crooked smile using her fake but very authentic French accent. "I never am."

Suddenly, she heard the bar door open and getting slammed shut. It was Johnny, one of the regulars at the bar, an experienced hunter. She knew them all by now, but they knew nothing about her, only her fake name and that she got the job done.

"Listen up everyone, you should all come out and see this! It's some messed up shit!", he yelled with his broad Texas accent. Hunters from all over the world gathered in that bar. Rika froze at his words. What was going on? Along with every other hunter in the bar, there were about a dozen of them including her and the bartender, she hurried outside. At first she saw nothing but then Carl, another hunter, pointed towards the sky.

"Good God", he said and Rika looked up.

Some dark clouds were piling up on the sky at a very fast rate. No, scratch that, they weren't dark, they were black. That's when she realized they weren't clouds. It was thick smoke, coming from the east. The smoke moved like snakes on the sky, and there was a big rumbling sound. Flashes of light lit up them, electricity running through the clouds. She knew what the clouds were.

"Demons", one of the hunters whispered in shock, confirming her suspicion. "Hundreds of them."

All the hunters, including herself, were completely frozen in fear and terror, looking up at the sky and the demons swarming it. And these were men who had seen a whole lot of horrors in their time. They didn't scare easily. Now they had no idea what to do. Suddenly, the demons in the sky were gone, as fast as they had appeared. Rika blinked a couple of times, not believing her eyes. What the hell was going on?

"Come on everyone, we should go back inside", the bartender said calmly. "We might get some news."

----------

The atmosphere inside Bowties was thick and fearful. Everyone was silent, they had been for a couple of hours now. It was about 5AM London time, and they were waiting for news from the outside world. Was there an apocalypse coming? Where had the demons come from and where had they gone? Suddenly the cord telephone in the bar rang and everyone jumped, even Rika. They had been so concentrated on their thoughts and the sudden sound in the midst of the deadly silence surprised them all. Tom answered.

"Are you absolutely sure?", he asked the person on the other end. "Okay, thanks Bill."

He looked up at all the faces in the bar, all turned towards him.

"Those clouds have been seen over 17 cities including London. They originated from the States", Tom explained with a calm voice. "The damn Winchester boys managed to let a Devil's Gate get opened."

Rika couldn't help but to gasp, but thankfully it was so silent that no one heard her. Sam and Dean?

"What does that mean?", another hunter whose name Rika wasn't sure of asked.

"There are hundreds and hundreds of demons on the loose in the world. Demons that had been sent to hell by us hunters for instance. Now they're free."

The bar fell silent until Tom spoke once more. "Gentlemen, and ladies", he added with a nod towards Rika. "We're at war."

"There aren't enough hunters in the world to do anything about this", another hunter said, punching his fist into the wall.

"_Maybe hunters can't stop the apocalypse, but I can. They have no idea what I'm capable of_", Rika thought. "_Looks like it's time to go back to the States._"

She got up and walked out the door. She had been preparing herself for the past ten months and now she was done. She had to be, Sam needed her help. She just had to pick up her things at the motel first, and then she would be on the first plane back to the United States. She sighed and hoped she would be able to face all the emotions she was bound to get again. At the same time she was scared of seeing Sam and of what he might say, she was excited. She just hoped he still wanted her around. Who knew, he might have met someone else?

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_One week later - Just outside Lincoln, Nebraska_

Sam, Dean and Bobby were working in a small town just outside Lincoln, Nebraska. They had been on edge for the last week, after the incident with the yellow-eyed demon and the Devil's Gate, trying to find signs of demon activity without any luck until the day before, when they had found a family that had starved and dehydrated to death along with signs supernatural activity. Sam sighed, it was probably their fault. After all they were the ones who let the Devil's Gate get opened in the first place, just as Tamara and Isaac, the hunter couple they had met earlier that day, had pointed out the night before. Sam felt guilty for worrying more about his brother than the demons they had let loose. Dean had sold his soul for him, and Sam was desperate to find a way to prevent it, to save Dean.

A part of him still wished Rika was there, but he had started to give up hope on her. It had been ten months since that night he put a prayer for her in the prayer box, and before that it had been five months since he saw her last. If she wasn't dead she sure as hell didn't want to have anything to do with him. Now there had been another mysterious death, a woman had killed another one for a pair of shoes. Sam walked into the store, and saw Dean talking to a blond woman. She was pretty, he thought, but not really his type. She seemed to shallow for that. His thoughts turned to Rika once again, and he missed her even more.

"You know, what happened outside makes you realize how fragile life really is", he heard his brother say with his hand on the woman's shoulder. "You've gotta make every second count."

Sam cleared his throat, trying to get his brothers attention. He couldn't believe Dean, he should be working and instead he was flirting. He was never quite tactful and would stop at nothing to get himself laid.

"Excuse me a minute, would you?", Dean asked the woman who walked away with a smile on her face.

"Dean, what are you doing?", Sam asked glaring at his brother.

"Comforting the bereaved. What are you doing?"

"Working. Dead body, possible demon attack, that kind of stuff", Sam said and shook his head.

"Sam, I'm sorry, I just don't have much time left", Dean said while coughing exaggeratedly, not quite being able to keep his pokerface. "Gotta make every second count."

"Yeah. All right. Sorry".

"Apology accepted", Dean said with a big smile.

Sam glanced towards the door, and saw Bobby enter the store. He didn't recognize him at first, since Bobby was wearing a black suit and tie with his hair slicked back. Sam wasn't used to seeing Bobby like that, he usually looked like a trucker.

"Whoa", Dean said with a whistle. "Lookin' spiffy, Bobby. What were you, a g-man?"

"Attorney for the D.A.'s office. I just spoke to the suspect", Bobby replied with his usual gruffy voice while straightening out his tie by looking in one of the mirrors on the wall.

"Yeah? So, what do you think? Was she possessed, or what?", Sam asked curiously. He wondered what was causing these people to act like they did.

"I don't think so. There was none of the usual signs, no blackouts, no loss of control, totally lucid. She just really wanted those shoes. I spilled a glass of holy water on her, just to be sure, nothing."

"Well, maybe she's just some random wackjob", Dean said.

"If it'd been an isolated incident, maybe. But first the family, now this? I believe in a lot of things. Coincidence ain't one of them. Did you boys find anything around here?"

"No sulfur. Nothing", Sam said not being able to hide the tone of defeat in his voice. There had to be something!

"Well, maybe something", his brother suddenly said and nodded towards a security camera on the store wall. "See? I'm working."

----------

After watching the security tapes in the back room, the three men had spotted a man talking to the suspect, nodding towards the victim. It was after that conversation that the suspect had walked towards the woman buying the shoes. The guy might be their demon, or some other creature. Back outside, Sam split up from Bobby and Dean and started walking down the sunny street. He was going to head to the library to do some research on the woman and or try to find out the identity of the suspect. Suddenly, he felt a bit strange. He could sense some kind of presence, almost as if he was being followed. Something wasn't right.

He slowed down before stopping and quickly turning around. There was nothing, just normal people minding their own business. He raised an eyebrow in confusion. Although, he could have sworn he had seen a familiar chunk of honey blond hair in the corner of his eye. He sighed and shook his head. "_No, it can't be. Not after all this time. It can't be her, it's just my mind playing tricks, trying to cope with what's going to happen to Dean. I've just been on edge this past week, a lot has been going on_", he thought and continued walking. However, he couldn't shake the feeling of someone following him.

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**A/N:** Sorry, Ruby won't be around in this story. At least not yet, she might be brought into the picture later on though. I'm a bit anti-Ruby, hating her for messing with Sam's head. ;) I like my Sammy to be one of the good guys, and not evil even though he's sexy as hell when he's bad. With that said, you all know who was following Sam. A clue: not Ruby. Reviews are better than icecream on a hot summer day.


	3. Save Me: The Magnificent Seven II

**A/N: **I own nothing of BtVS or Supernatural, nor anything you recognize from the shows. Neither do I own the songs used as inspiration for the chapters. I only own Rika, my writing and my own ideas.

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**Chapter 2 - Save Me (The Magnificent Seven Part II)**

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_I feel my wings have broken in your hands  
I feel the words unspoken inside_

_When they pull you under  
And I would give you anything you want  
Well all I wanted  
All my dreams have fallen down  
Crawling around somebody save me  
And two warm hands break right through me  
Somebody save me  
I don't care how you do it  
Just stay  
Stay  
Come on  
I've been waiting for you_

_I see the world has folded in your heart  
I feel the waves crash down inside_

_I've made this whole world shine for  
Just stay  
Stay  
Come on  
I'm still waiting for you_  
Remy Zero - Save Me

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Rika had taken a flight to Boston, where she visited her old apartment. It was still hers, but now it was a place for her to keep all of her stuff in storage. She hadn't wanted to sell it, since she never knew if she might need a place to stay at some point. Besides, the apartment carried so many memories for her, both good and bad. Rika remembered many of the late nights she had spent there with her watcher, researching and making plans. But her favourite memory in that apartment was of Sam, and that one wonderful afternoon over a year ago - the afternoon she realized she was falling for him and they were intimate for the first time. She had taken care of a couple of things, and then she had left her apartment once more. Staying there had felt strange, it had been empty in a way even though the apartment was full with furniture and boxes. She had bought a car, a nice little silver Volvo, paying for it with a fake credit card. She had learned a couple of things by hanging out amongst hunters after all. She had been driving around Boston for a couple of hours, trying out her new car. The city was still beautiful and the climate reminded her of the one back home. Rika had gotten strangely attached to Boston during the five years she had stayed there. When she drove past the cemetery where Hugh, her watcher, was buried, she couldn't bring herself to stop and go visit his grave. It was still too soon, and the wounds were still open. She needed to concentrate on helping the Winchester's now, and she feared she would break down if she saw the headstone with the name Hugh Tennant engraved on it. She couldn't start hurting and crying now, instead she needed to brace herself for what was yet to come.

Finding Sam and Dean hadn't been difficult, she had just done a simple tracking spell, finding them just outside Lincoln, Nebraska. She had gotten a hang of using magic during the past months, and tracking humans was just as easy for her now as tracking demons. Besides, her sixth sense when it came to the supernatural helped her. Now she didn't even need to use a map and magic powder to find out where demons were, she just had to think about a specific one and she instinctively knew where to find it. When she arrived in town, she had overheard a couple of locals discussing a woman being brutally killed by another outside a fashion store for a couple of shoes. She figured that was were Sam and Dean would be, if they were still in town, so she made her way down main street, finding herself on the pavement across the street from the store. She had to admit it was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and the sky was blue. But something felt wrong, she could feel some sort of evil presence in the idyllic town. Rika had only been standing there for a couple of minutes contemplating on how she should make her next move, when she saw the door to the store open. Sam, Dean and an older man in a suit came out, and stopped on the pavement outside the store. Rika took a few steps to the side so she was standing in the shadow behind a tree on the pavement. She watched them having a discussion, and then Sam lifted his hand in a small wave goodbye. They split up, Dean and the older man walked to the left while Sam started walking down the street to the right.

Seeing Sam again almost stopped her heart, and it skipped a beat. He was looking just the same. A million emotions were rushing through her head, and it stirred up a lot of old memories. She was hurting but at the same time she felt happy, and confused. She hadn't been prepared for this whirlwind of feelings to be stern up inside of her again, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for them. She quickly walked across the street and started walking behind Sam with a quick pace, she didn't want to lose track of him. She was thinking about shouting to stop him, say hello. She suddenly noticed Sam flinch, upon which started to slow down his walking. _"He knows someone's following him", _Rika thought, slightly panicked. "_I can't do this, not yet. I need to think. He might not even want to see me again."_

She quickly slipped into the store nearby, just as Sam stopped and turned around. Her breathing was fast, and her heart was pounding, struck with sudden panic. She hoped he hadn't seen her. She carefully glanced out the big window towards the street and saw Sam standing still, looking around. Suddenly he shook his head, and continued walking. Rika instantly calmed down and took a deep breath. He hadn't noticed her. _"I'm such a coward"_, she thought. _"Demons don't scare me, but talking to the guy I love, that's the nightmare. How ironic. Very suave Rika, well done." _Rika sighed once, and when she was sure the coast was clear, she left the store and walked the same direction Sam had gone. She decided to stay close, not revealing herself unless they needed her.

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Later that day, after nightfall, Sam was standing in a room on the second floor in Tamara and Isaac's house. Or actually, it was just Tamara's now, Isaac was dead. Everything seemed to have gone straight to hell that night. Sam was looking out the window into the garden behind the house, trying to spot some movement. Everything had happened so quickly that night, things had most definitely taken a turn for the worse. How that was even possible beat Sam, he was sure he had already hit rock bottom. They were facing something that wasn't like anything they had faced before and he wasn't sure if they would survive it this time. They had already had more lucky breaks than he thought was possible. They were up against the seven deadly sins. His thoughts turned towards the argument they had had just an hour earlier, after getting back from the bar where Isaac had been killed by the demons.

_"And I say we're going back!", Tamara had shouted, while Sam was trying to calm her down. He didn't want her to do anything rash and he was starting to feel a bit exasperated._

_"Listen, just hold on a second."_

_"I left my husband bloody on the floor!"_

_"Okay, I understand that. But we can't go back."_

_"Fine. Then you stay. But I'm heading back to that bar."_

_Then Dean had suddenly stepped in. "I'll go with her."  
_

_Sam had been furious and worried about his brother at the same time. He was tired of Dean's self-sacrificial attitude. It was like he thought nothing of himself. Sam just wanted him to fight what was coming. "It's suicide, Dean!"_

_"So what? I'm dead already."_

_"How are you gonna kill them? Can't shoot them. You can't stab them. They're not just gonna wait in line to get exorcised!"_

_Tamara had then told Sam she didn't care either. Sam had started to panic, his attempts to reason with Dean and Tamara weren't working and he had been getting more and more desperate. "You don't even know how many of them there are!"_

_And then Bobby had stepped in, making things even worse._

_"Yeah, we do. There's seven. Do you have any idea who we're up against?"_

_"No, who?", Dean had asked._

_"The seven deadly sins. Live and in the flesh."  
_

_Dean had cracked a stupid joke that none of them understood. Sam hadn't thought it was the proper time to be making jokes, Dean was usually really bad with his timing, this was just the millionth example. Bobby had then handed Dean the book he had been reading, and Dean had asked what it was._

_"Binsfeld's Classification of Demons. In 1589, Binsfeld I.D.'d the seven sins. Not just as human vices, but as actual devils."  
_

_A scary realization had hit Sam. "The family, they were touched by "sloth". And the shopper…", he had begun with a shaky voice, then interrupted by Bobby._

_"That's envy's doing, the customer we've got in the next room. I couldn't suss it out at first, until Isaac. He was touched with an awful glutton..."_

_"I don't give a rat's ass if they're the Three Stooges or the Four Tops! I'm gonna slaughter every last one of them!", Tamara had interrupted Bobby. She had been furious. Sam understood her, he had been just as angry after losing Jessica and his father. Not to mention after Rika's disappearance or seeing her lying in that hospital bed after her watcher had been killed. He still had no idea if she was alright. If she was even alive._

_"We already did it your way. You burst in there half-cocked, and look what happened! These demons haven't been topside in half a millennium! We're talking medieval! Dark Ages! We've never faced anything close to this! So, we are gonna take a breath, and figure out what our next move is!" Sam had never heard Bobby so pissed off._

Sam was a bit pissed off himself, at his brother, and his sudden death wish. Sam had already realized how alike Dean and Tamara were, both of them driven by wrath and vengeance. The way Tamara had treated that poor possessed guy earlier had been pretty damn cold. And Dean, he had wanted to distract the demons all by himself, sacrificing his own life, so Sam, Bobby and Tamara could get away. Sam hated his brother for that. Why couldn't he understand that Sam didn't want to live without him either? Sam was also pissed off at the fact that Dean seemed to have given up hope. _"If we're going down, we're going down together", _he had told Dean. And now it was looking like it was his time to go. Things just kept getting more and more absurd, and it was killing him.

Tamara had rushed out to fight one of the demons, it had taken over Isaac's body and it had been too much for her to handle. Now Sam was upstairs, just waiting for the demons to come to him and finish him off. He suddenly flinched when he heard a sound and turned towards the door, which crashed open and he saw three of the demons enter. Sam was freaking out, he didn't know if he could take three demons all by himself. If only they could walk under the devil's trap that was painted on the ceiling. The first demon had possessed a man with dark hair, and he was wearing a suit.

"Here's Johnny!", the demon yelled mimicking some horror movie whose name Sam couldn't remember. He never really liked horror movies, his life was already like one so he preferred to watch other genres, like comedies and mindless action flicks. The demon stopped walking and looked up at the ceiling. "Come on. You really think something like that is gonna fool someone like me? I mean, _me_?"

"Let me guess, you're pride", Sam said trying to sound calm. Inside, he was scared to death.

The demon grinned and flinched its hand. The ceiling cracked open, destroying the devil's trap. Now, it was completely useless. Sam swallowed, he knew he was screwed.

"The root of all sin. And you are Sam Winchester. That's right, I've heard of you. We've all heard of you – the prodigy, the Boy King. Looking at you now, I've gotta tell you: don't believe the hype. You think I'm gonna bow to a cut-rate, piss-poor human like you? I have my pride, after all. And now, with your yellow-eyed friend dead, I guess I don't really have to do a damn thing now, do I? You're fair game now, boy. And it's open season."

Suddenly, pride jumped Sam and gave him quite a beating, forcing him down on the floor with a kick to the stomach and Sam groaned in pain. The demon had a choke hold on Sam, trying to break his neck or suffocate him. The other demons were standing behind him, helping out. Sam fought to get out of pride's grip. His neck was hurting and he groaned while grabbing pride's arms, trying to get them away from him, but it was useless - he wasn't strong enough to fight three demons all by himself. "_This is it",_ he thought. "_I'm going to die, again. Dean's sacrifice was for nothing. I can't die, I need to save him." _Then Sam heard greed, the female demon, scream, and pride's grip on his neck loosened. The attention of the demons was turned towards the door with their backs to Sam, and he struggled to get off the floor while rubbing his neck. He tried to see what the demon's were looking at, but they were standing in the way so he couldn't see.

"Stupid bitch, did you really think that would hurt me? An arrow to the head?", greed said with her face towards the door. Then Sam spotted a small crossbow arrow stuck in the back of greed's head. The demon reached her hand up and pulled the arrow out throwing it into a corner.

"No, but at least it got your attention", Sam heard a calm female voice say. Sam immediately froze. The voice was familiar. He hadn't heard it in months, but he would always recognize it. It was her voice. He couldn't believe it was true, it felt like he was in a dream. It couldn't be her, could it?

-------------------------------------

**A/N: **Reviews are love. :)


	4. You Found Me: The Magnificent Seven III

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**Chapter 3 - You Found Me (The Magnificent Seven Part III)**

-------------------------------------

_I found God on the corner of 1st and Amistad  
Where the West was all but won  
All alone, smoking his last cigarette  
I said, "Where you been?" He said, "Ask anything"_

_Where were you when everything was falling apart?  
All my days were spent by the telephone that never rang  
And all I needed was a call that never came  
To the corner of 1st and Amistad_

_But in the end everyone ends up alone  
Losing her, the only one who's ever known  
Who I am, who I'm not and who I wanna be  
No way to know how long she will be next to me_

_Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me  
Lying on the floor surrounded, surrounded  
Why'd you have to wait? Where were you? Where were you?  
Just a little late, you found me, you found me_

_Why'd you have to wait to find me, to find me?_  
The Fray - You Found Me

-------------------------------------

Rika had been following the Winchester boys around all day. First they had been walking around town all day, showing people a picture of a man, trying to find out if anyone knew him. Maybe he was a suspect for the death of that family and the woman in the clothing store? Rika had seen them drive that car into the bar which the hunter couple had entered just minutes before, and then leave with screeching tires. She had almost stepped in during that commotion in the bar, since she could hear them fighting and screaming inside. The Winchesters had however managed to get out of the situation all by themselves, so she hadn't been forced to reveal herself just yet. She had refrained from going into the bar to see what had happened, and instead followed them to the old, two-story house that apparently belonged to the two hunters she didn't know. She kept laying low for the entire evening, staying hidden in the shadows outside the house.

Of course she was armed, she had a crossbow and the scythe Buffy had given her when they met six months ago. Buffy had told her it was her turn to hold on to it, a weapon forged for the slayer alone. And since there were three of them, it was only right that Rika got her turn - after all both Faith and Buffy had used it. Buffy had survived so long and even though she was only four years older than Rika, she was now thinking about retirement. And she if anyone deserved it. Rika had been able to feel the power from the scythe running through her once she touched it, and she knew she might need it. Buffy had told her it was a slayer thing, normal people couldn't feel the scythe's power. It had been forged for the slayer and the slayer alone. Since there wasn't just one slayer anymore, Buffy thought Rika might want to try the scythe out. After all, it was her right as a slayer. Buffy and Rika had quickly become friends, after they noticed how alike they were. Rika had met many of Buffy's friends, and she had liked them. Rupert Giles, Buffy's watcher who she had met briefly just before Hugh died, had also been of help to get her in touch with he slayer self.

However, she had other weapons as well, weapons that weren't as visible as the scythe and her trusty crossbow. Once during the evening she had been standing outside the house Sam was in, she even managed to force herself to sneak up to one of the windows on the bottom floor and eavesdrop on their conversation. She was too curious for her own good, but seeing him filled her with some sort of calmness now, instead of the panic she had felt before when she first saw him again. Rika couldn't help but feel a bit guilty, this I can see you but you can't see me was a bit stalkerish and creepy, not to mention unfair towards Sam.

She had caught them in an argument, Sam trying to convince Dean and the female hunter not to do anything stupid. She had heard the older hunter, who was apparently a friend of Sam and Dean's, tell them that they were facing the seven deadly sins. It explained the evil presence she had been feeling ever since she arrived in town, and it had kept getting stronger while Rika had been staying close to the Winchesters. It hadn't been long before the female hunter's dead husband possessed by a demon had showed up outside the house. Rika was feeling lucky that he hadn't spotted her, she didn't want to rush into a fight. The demon possessing the husband had finally managed to get under the wife's skin and she had jumped outside to fight him, breaking the line of salt at the door. In horror Rika watched the five remaining demons run inside the house. Now was definitely her time to act, otherwise Sam might get hurt and she didn't want that. It was exactly what she was here to prevent.

She ran inside and heard the older man talk to a demon inside a room that had been the living room. The demon was trapped in a devil's trap.

"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son", she heard the older hunter say to the demon, who had possessed an obese man. He then began chanting in Latin, working on exorcising the demon. "_Regna terrae, cantate Deo, psallite Domino qui fertis super caelum_..."

Neither the hunter nor the demon noticed her when she ran upstairs, fast but quietly. Her slayer abilities were of great use when being stealthy. She heard fighting sounds and a familiar groan of pain from a room on the second floor, and she ran inside. She saw Sam lying on the floor, in choke hold by one of the demons. He was trying to fight it off, with no luck. The other two were standing behind Sam and the demon in the suit, watching. _"Hope I'm not too late_", Rika thought. Her crossbow was fastened on her back, and she quickly reached her hand over her shoulder and pulled it out. She needed to distract the demons so Sam wouldn't suffocate or get his neck broken. She fired an arrow into the back of the female demon's head, and she screamed. Rika was proud of her aim, she was good at it.

Rika's plan apparently worked, the two demons watching the fight between Sam and the third one immediately turned around, looking at her with anger in their eyes. The demon choking Sam loosened its grip and turned towards her as well, looking slightly confused. The confusion in its black eyes then turned into wrath and repulsion. Rika couldn't see Sam, he was hidden behind the demons, but she hoped he would be okay. Rika put the crossbow back. Then the female demon she had shot with it spoke while pulling the arrow out of the back of her head.

"You stupid bitch, did you really think that would hurt me? An arrow to the head?"

"No, but at least it got your attention", Rika replied with a smirk.

"Who the hell are you?", the demon that had been beating Sam asked. "Do you have _any_ idea_ who _you're up against? You can't do anything to _me._"

"I do", she replied, now knowing that the demon in the suit was pride. "Don't you know _pride_ goes before a fall?"

The female demon took a step towards Rika, who turned her attention in its direction.

"Don't push your luck."

"What are you going to do?", pride said with a grin. "You're just a girl."

"Are you going to kill me or are we just making small talk?"

That was it for the female demon, and she rushed towards Rika. Rika quickly raised her hand, her palm towards the demon. She simply flinched her hand while silently thinking a spell and the demon flew across the room, spun around in the air and hit the wall. Rika couldn't help but to let out a proud smirk, she was getting better at casting spells. She didn't even need to say the words out loud anymore. Rika had picked up some new useful tricks during her travels, mostly thanks to Willow who was an excellent teacher. She made a mental note to call Willow and thank her later.

"_What _are you?", pride yelled looking shocked.

"The bogeyman."

Rika swung the scythe towards pride, stabbing it with the pointy end of the weapon. The demon yelled in agony while there was a sizzling sound and some smoke. Its widened eyes turned black for a fracture of a second before turning back to the human eye color. Then, pride fell to the ground. The third demon, who hadn't yet spoken punched her and Rika twirled around 360 degrees. She quickly got her balance back, did a jump kick that hit the demon in the stomach making it stumble away from her. She then chopped off its head with the axe end of the scythe. The female demon she had just thrown into the wall with the spell jumped her from behind and Rika tried struggling out of her grip. Now it was Sam's turn to help her, he pulled the demon away from Rika who quickly turned around and stabbed it in the stomach with the pointy end of the scythe. It sizzled too, a bit of smoke and some electricity going through it before falling to the ground.

Rika looked up, straight into Sam's eyes. Now that she was looking at his face up close, he seemed sadder than she remembered. They were both breathing heavily after the fight, Rika's heart was pounding and she was waiting for both her heartbeat and her breathing to slow down. Sam looked at her, like he had seen a ghost, and she wasn't surprised. She would have looked at herself like that too.

-------------------------------------

It was really her. It was Rika. She was alive and she was there, standing right in front of him only a couple of meters away, just as beautiful as he remembered. This was all he had wanted for more than a year. Sam's memories hadn't done her justice, especially not now when the small amount of moonlight coming through the window hit her, making her glow like some sort of Grecian goddess. Her hair was longer than when he had seen her last, ending just beneath her chest where her stomach begun. Her hair was draped over her shoulders, falling down in a cascade of soft, voluminous curls. Her light skin was slightly tanned, her deep, mixed color eyes as breathtaking as he remembered. Her eyes looked wiser than they had before and Sam wondered what she had seen while she had been gone.

She was holding some sort of axe, it was red and shiny. One of the ends looked just like a battle axe on a sword, the other end being a stake. He wondered where she'd gotten it, and how on earth it could kill demons. No blade could kill demons, only exorcism worked. And the Colt of course, but there were no bullets left in it so it was of no use to them. She was wearing a dark grey sweater under a brown leather jacket, a pair of black jeans and a some black ballerina-style canvas flats. He felt a sudden sensation and a need to touch her, just to see if she was actually real.

"Rika, you're here! What're you... How'd you... Where have you been?"

He walked up to her and placed his hand on her face, wiping his thumb across her cheek. He felt her tense as he pulled her into a hug. At first she just stood there, every muscle in her body stiff and careful, but then he felt her relax and she hugged him back. He heard her sigh, just faintly, but it was definitely there and he liked the fact that he still had some sort of effect on her. Suddenly, everything felt right again. Sam felt like he was finally home. Just having her back in his arms felt so incredibly good, and he didn't want to let go. The chemistry between them was still there. Her head rested against his shoulder and he took a deep breath, thriving on her scent. She still used the same schampoo, and she smelled of wild flowers and early morning dew. She pulled away from him and looked up into his eyes, while his hands still rested on her upper arms.

"Hi", she simply said and ran her hand through her hair on the top of her head.

"Hi", he said back. "Your weapon - you can kill demons with that thing?"

"Sure comes in handy when I have to swoop in and save the damsel in distress." She was teasing him, just like she almost a year ago when they first met, and she smiled being clearly amused. For a moment it felt like they had never been apart, like they had known each other forever. "Myself, I'm not really much with the damseling."

"Where'd you get it?"

"Sears catalog." She let out a small sigh after her sarcastic comment and looked away for a second. "Look, it's a long story, and I promise I'll explain everything later. Right now, we gotta help Dean and your other friends out. There are still two demons in need of exorcism, and from what I reckon Dean's fighting one of them down the hall."

Sam felt a bit frustrated. He had so many questions that needed answers, but Rika was right. They were in the middle of a big fight; Dean, Bobby and Tamara needed their help. For the time being he'd have to settle for being happy to have her back. There'd be time for questions later.

-------------------------------------

Rika walked ahead of Sam, hearing fighting sounds coming from one of the rooms down the hall. Seeing and touching Sam as well as breathing his scent again had made some long forgotten emotions run through her body. While she had been reluctant to hug him at first, he seemed to be happy to see her, so her worries eased for a bit. Hugging him felt better than she ever could have imagined, and she almost didn't want to pull away. But she wasn't ready for all of these feelings again, not yet. She knew she would be, sooner or later. The question was, did he still think of her that way or was there some other woman in his life?

They walked into the room and saw Dean trying to drown one of the demons, a female one who had to be lust, in a sink filled with holy water. When he pulled her head up from the water she drew a deep breath, screaming while her face was steaming. Rika punched her in the head, knocking her out.

"She'll live, just get your friend down there perform the exorcism."

Dean looked at her, he too like he had seen a ghost.

"What the hell?!", he let out and then gave her a big brotherly hug, almost squeezing her to death.

"Can't... breathe!"

"Oh, sorry", he said but smirked as he let go. "What the hell are you doing here? You're back now?"

"I'm happy to see you too, Dean", she said using her sarcastic tone and he chuckled. She watched as Sam picked a chalk out of his pocket and stood up on a chair in the room while drawing a big devil's trap on the ceiling.

"That should hold it if it wakes up." He jumped down from the chair and kept staring at Rika until she had to turn her face away. The fact that she didn't know what he was thinking was driving her crazy. "I guess we had better go check on Bobby."

-------------------------------------


	5. After A While: The Magnificent Seven IV

-------------------------------------

**Chapter 4 - After A While (The Magnificent Seven Part IV)**

-------------------------------------

_I want you to know I needed time to rest  
And, I must confess to you  
I am hardest on myself  
All I ever wanted was to try to do my best  
And I want to tell the truth now  
I am unwell_

After awhile, I just lay down  
After awhile, my chin ain't up  
Bare-knuckle fighter in the third round  
After awhile, it's all bad luck

Save me. Save me from myself  
Drowning in the wishing well  
I will try to rise above  
I am never good enough

I want you to know that I needed time alone  
Don't you try to tell me that you really didn't know  
All I ever wanted was to never leave this bed  
And I want to tell the truth - my smile is just pretend

After awhile, I got sleepy  
After awhile, safety lasted  
After awhile, disenchanted  
After awhile, I just fasted  
Bif Naked - After A While

-------------------------------------

Bobby had just finished exorcising the obese man when he heard voices from upstairs. He looked over at the staircase, and saw Sam and Dean walk down the steps, closely followed by some blond girl. Bobby had to admit that she was pretty, and she looked about Sam's age. Where the hell had she come from? He hadn't noticed her enter the house. Bobby watched as Dean patted her shoulder, and the three of them laughed like someone had told a joke. They seemed comfortable together, like she knew them. Bobby had never seen her before, but this wasn't exactly the time to be laughing, the seven deadly sins being on a killing spree and everything.

"Boys, where are the remaining four demons?", he raised his voice.

Dean answered. "Lil' Miss Lust is waiting to be exorcised in one of the rooms upstairs. The three other suckers are dead."

"Dead? How the hell did they get dead?"

"Rika here killed them with this cool axe-thingy she has going for her", Dean chuckled.

Bobby looked over at the girl and the half battle-axe, half-stake weapon she was holding. "No blade can kill a demon. Exorcism's the only way to go."

"Well, this one can", the girl replied with a small smile.

"Who the hell are you then? Where'd you come from?" Bobby was a bit suspicious, and he knew he must sound like that too. But as a hunter, you could never be too careful.

"This is Rika, she's a... she's my... my...", Sam begun but was interrupted by Dean when he wasn't able to find the words.

"She's Sammy's special friend. She's been gone for a while, but now she's back."

"It's SAM." Sam glared at Dean. Bobby rolled his eyes, he had enough to deal with as it was, didn't want to hear the boys' bickering again. He loved them like they were his own sons, but sometimes they would really irritate him.

"You a hunter?"

"Sort of." The girl, whose name was apparently Rika, paused before continuing. "I'm the slayer, or actually, one of three."

Bobby felt his eyes widen in shock. He had heard the term once or twice before, but he, and many other hunter's he knew, had always thought that the slayer was just a myth. Something the vampires and other monsters used to scare each other with, like bed time stories with children.

"The slayer? That's impossible, it's just a myth!"

"Do I _look_ mythical to you?"

Bobby heard Dean chuckle. "Bobby, I can assure you that slayers exist. We'll fill you in on the details later, but now we need to finish this job, the sun is rising. Rika, this is Bobby, an old friend of our dad's."

"Very well."

Bobby sighed, and walked past them upstairs. He needed to exorcise a demon.

-------------------------------------

It was early morning, and Sam, Dean and Rika were working together to bury greed, gluttony and pride - the demons Rika had killed. The morning was beautiful, Rika noticed as she watched the first rays of sunlight appear. At the moment they were covering the bodies with salt. Sam looked over and saw Tamara a bit further away, burning Isaac's corpse.

"You think she's gonna be all right?"

"No. Definitely not", Dean just replied and watched as Bobby approached them from the house, slightly massaging his head. "Well, you look like hell warmed over."

"Well, you try exorcising all night, and see how you feel."

"Any survivors, Bobby?", Sam asked.

"The pretty girl and the heavy guy - they'll make it. A lifetime of therapy bills ahead, but still."

"That's more than you can say for these poor bastards", Dean said and did a gesture towards the corpses in the grave. Sam looked over at Rika, and saw that she looked really sad.

"I had to do it", she said. "There wouldn't have been any way to beat them all if I hadn't."

She looked down slightly with a concentrated look on her face. "I've never killed humans before. I mean, they were possessed and everything, but they're still people, you know?"

"We know", Sam said trying to comfort her. He understood more than well that she had to do what she did. And he was thankful - he'd probably be dead by now if it wasn't for Rika swooping in and saving the day.

"Actually, I think the more troubling question would be how the hell a girl can fight better than you, Sammy", Dean chuckled.

"Three demons, Dean. At once. Besides, Rika isn't exactly just a girl."

"Hey, whatever it takes to get you through the night, pal."

"Well, if you want a troubling question, I've got one for you."

"What's that?"

"If we let out the seven deadly sins, what else did we let out?"

"You're right, that is troubling."

Dean threw the match onto the corpses and the quartet looked as they started burning.

-------------------------------------

After Sam had had a very troubling conversation with Dean outside, learning that there was no way to try to get Dean out of the deal without himself dropping dead, he was both in pain and angry. Dean had told him he'd stop Sam if he even tried, but Sam wasn't going to give up. He couldn't. For the time being he was setting his feelings about Dean's behavior and fate aside, as the group walked back inside Tamara and Isaac's house. Rika had agreed to explain things to them before they continued on their way. They walked through the shoddy kitchen into the ever shoddier dining room, and sat down around the dining room table. Dean had already filled Bobby in on the basics of the events in March last year, when they had first met Rika. He hadn't mentioned much about Rika and Sam's relationship, which Sam was grateful for. He wasn't still quite sure about where they were standing.

"So, you might wanna start explaining where you've been for more than a year and where you got that axe-thing."

Sam silently cursed Dean for being so direct. They had no idea what Rika had gone through, or why she had left. She might not want to let them in, even though he was praying that she would. "Dean..."

Rika interrupted him. "No Sam, it's okay. I owe you two an explanation, but I had better start from the beginning."

"Sam looked everywhere for you, and we tried pulling every contact we had. There was no sign of you! No one had even seen a glimpse of a blond girl fighting vampires."

"I wore contact lenses and a red wig in public, and called myself Marie Girard. I didn't really want to be found."

Sam was shocked. He had had no idea.

"When Hugh died... And you two left for the second time... I wasn't okay, even though I was trying to convince myself and everyone else that I was. I was broken inside, frustrated and I felt disconnected from everything. At first I concentrated on graduating from college, and when school was over, I went back home. I stayed as far as I possibly could from everything that had to do with the supernatural, and slaying. Just spent some time with my family back home for a couple of months. But I was restless, and I was afraid that I'd get them into trouble, so I had to leave. A part of me blamed myself for what happened to Hugh, if there was something I could've done to stop it."

"It wasn't your fault", Sam said shaking his head while realizing how much hurt resided in his voice. "Why didn't you come to me?"

Bobby cocked an eyebrow, he was now sure that Sam and Rika had been in love, or had had some sort of relationship. He had sensed it before, but he hadn't been able to tell for sure.

"I was in pieces, and I had to puzzle myself back together, do some soul-searching, find out who I really am. There were so many things about what it means to be the slayer that I didn't understand, and still don't understand. I'm not sure if I'm still completely okay." Sam looked into her eyes and saw the agony in them. He just wanted to hold her and comfort her, telling her everything was going to be okay but he couldn't. Truth was, he was just as broken as she was.

"So, when you left your family, where'd you go?"

"The council wanted to assign a new watcher for me, but I told them I quit. I've always wanted to travel, so I did. I went to Asia and Europe, even stopped by Africa and Australia. I slowly got back into slaying, got rid of some spirits in Istanbul for example and visited some monks in Nepal."

"And then, I went to Italy. You remember what I told you last year, that there are three slayers even though there's only supposed to be one?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"Well, how that happened is a long story, but basically there are two other slayers - Buffy and Faith. There was a thing called a Hellmouth underneath a town called Sunnydale in Southern California, and Buffy lived on top of it. The town collapsed in on itself in 2003, destroying the Hellmouth, so Buffy moved to Italy. I met her, and Faith there."

"Her watcher, Giles, I met him once before, last year. He visited Hugh a bit before Hugh died. Buffy hasn't been in need of training for a while, she's been doing this so long she's actually thinking of retirement - how that's possible beats me but she does deserve it. Well, he helped me with my training for a bit, and it was really useful. I got a lot of insight and found out more about who I am. Buffy's friends were amazing, they hadn't really known I existed, but they welcomed me. One of Buffy's best friends, Willow, is a pretty powerful wicca, and she taught me some magic."

"Was that how you were able to throw the demon across the room by just flinching your hand?", Sam asked and tried to scan her face.

"Yeah. I guess I got pretty powerful with the magic."

"So, what's that axe thing? How come it can be used to kill demons?", Bobby asked. He wasn't quite sure if he was allowed to ask questions seeing as he didn't know Rika, but he wanted to anything.

Rika smiled and lifted the scythe up on the table. "This is a scythe. It was forged a long time ago for the slayer, and the slayer alone. Buffy King Arthured it out of a stone about six years ago, and she and Faith have been taking turns using it. They gave it to me when I was hanging out with them. It's pretty powerful, I feel it every time I touch it. Basically, it kills bad things three ways."

"Can I?", Bobby asked and Rika handed him the scythe.

"Sure."

Bobby picked it up and studied it. He didn't feel anything, but it was an impressive piece of weaponry, he had to admit that.

"I can't feel anything", he said.

"No, you wouldn't. It's a slayer thing, Buffy told me. None of her friends can feel its power the way we do."

"Why did you come back?", Dean asked. "Why now, after all this time?"

Sam hadn't said anything in a while and it worried Rika. She wondered what he thought about all this.

"As much as I loved Buffy and her friends, I didn't belong with them, so I went away again, spent a couple of weeks in India. Then, I went back to Europe and found myself in London."

"About a week ago", she continued, "I was in a bar called Bowties in London."

"The hunter hangout?", Bobby asked her and Sam and Dean turned their eyes towards him for a moment.

"Yeah. Well, we witnessed some rather troubling clouds on the sky, I imagine you three know what they were. We sat in deadly silence in the bar for a couple of hours afterwards, waiting for news. Then, there was a phone call and we received information that you two were somehow involved in a Devil's Gate being opened."

"Long story", Dean said.

"Yeah, I figure", she smiled. "Anyways, I thought you might need my help and I was feeling ready to come back to the States so I jumped on the first best plane."

"How long have you been following us around?", Sam asked and looked up at her. Finally he spoke, after being silent so long.

"Since this morning, outside that clothing store."

"So there was someone following me!", Sam said. "I knew it! Why didn't you come talk to me then?"

"When you noticed I was following you around, I started panicking, didn't know what you'd say, so I just jumped inside the closest store. I've been following you around all day, waiting to see if you actually needed me."

"How's that fair?", Sam asked. "I would have given anything to know that you were back!"

"It wasn't fair, I know", she replied. "I'm sorry, but I wasn't ready."

"And now you are?"

"I think so, yeah."

The group sat in silence for a while. There were still so many things Sam wanted to ask Rika, so many things he wanted to tell her. Part of him was so happy that she was back, but another part wondered how they would be able to deal. Both of them had seemingly changed so much, but her return gave him a small glimpse of hope. Maybe she was able to help him and Dean.

-------------------------------------


	6. Say You Love Me

**A/N: **This chapter is a bit long, but I wanted to fit a few things into it before beginning with "The Kids Are Alright". Hope you like it. It features a bit of intimate action between Sam and Rika, both mental and physical, as well as it gives a bit more depth to Rika and Dean's relationship towards the end. ;)

**Disclaimer: **Supernatural belongs to Kripke, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Whedon. I only own my own ideas, writing and the character Rika.

-------------------------------------

**Chapter 5 - Say You Love Me**

-------------------------------------

_We walk through crimson fire to Room 118  
You open my heart with a sapphire skeleton key  
I ache to taste your breath on my skin_

Say you love me  
Yeah, you love me  
Gonna love me now  
I'm in love, yeah  
Gonna love you  
Gonna love you  
I know what you want  
And I'll give you everything

In twilight morning while all the world sleeps  
Cinnamon sins are all safe here with me

Let's sip our cognac and savor memory  
I'm not finished dreaming, I'm a heroine on the run  
With a gun  
The echoes of our sighs fill the room  
We're not dressed yet but we're swaying to the moon  
Darling Violetta - Say You Love Me

-------------------------------------

When they finally reached a motel, it was already dark outside. They had been scouting for one for hours, Sam and Dean in the Impala and Rika in her little Volvo driving right behind them. They could've stayed in Lincoln, but all three had wanted to get out of that town as fast as possible. Rika hadn't known what to do with her car and decided it was probably better for the trio to travel separately. The Winchesters hadn't said that much, and she wasn't still sure if they even wanted her around. She was longing to have a talk with Sam in private, but at the same time dreading being alone with him - afraid of what he might say.

She parked her car next to the Impala outside the motel, ironically called ´The Sunspot Motel`. She got out of the car and took one of her duffel bags with her, throwing it over her shoulder. It was filled with her overnight stuff, some clothing and of course the scythe, which she never let out of her sight. She walked towards the Winchesters, who were already waiting for her outside the check-in.

"I'll take a separate room, why don't you two share one", Dean suggested to Rika and Sam. "I bet you two have stuff to talk about."

Rika glanced at Sam who was glancing back at her while silently nodding. When she saw he agreed with Dean, she nodded too. His silence frightened her, and at the same time she had a feeling that there was something the brothers weren't telling her.

"I'll go get us some rooms", Dean said and went inside while Sam and Rika waited outside, still in silence, both lost in their thoughts. They had a lot to take in, and Rika noticed that Sam jumped a bit when he suddenly heard Dean's voice.

"Here you go", Dean said and threw the room key to Sam who caught it in the air. "Room 118. Night."

"See you in the morning", Sam said and Dean just gave him a nod back before he started walking towards his own room.

Sam shot Rika a timid look before finally speaking and a weight fell off her heart. "Shall we?"

"Yeah", she replied and gave him a small, timid smile before they started walking towards their room.

Sam opened the door and gave Rika a gesture to go first. She walked into the room and took it in, scanning every corner. It was small, but strangely cozy for being a motel room. She had gotten used to much worse ones during her travels across the globe. There were two beds, that looked really comfortable to her, she was dead exhausted. The sheets were white, creating a nice contrast against the soft beige on the walls. It was a nice room, fairly good interior. Rika put her bag down next to the small desk against the wall across from the beds. She took off her jacket and her shoes and leaned back against the desk with her arms crossed.

She watched as Sam walked into the room and placed his own bag next to one of the beds. He also took off his jacket, placing it on a chair in a corner. Underneath he was wearing a plain, dark grey t-shirt. He looked so good in it, better than Rika even remembered. Seeing his muscular arms almost made her knees go weak, remembering how they had been wrapped around her that one, amazing afternoon almost a year ago. He sat down at the end of one of the beds, and placed his hands on his thighs. He looked up at her with a neutral expression and she looked back. So it went on for a couple of minutes, they just stared at each other in silence. The silence was killing Rika, so she felt the need to speak.

"Please just say something. You're killing me."

He gave her a sad look. "I don't know what to say."

Those words killed her even more. "Last year, when we met, everything was so natural, so effortless. Now it's just... Well, maybe we've both changed too much, maybe it's too late for us. Look, I get it if you don't want me here. Just say the word and I'll be out that door, I'll never bother you again."

Sam's eyes widened in shock and he opened his mouth to protest. "No, NO! Don't leave me again. You have no idea how much I've missed you. I walked around like a ghost after you went missing, and when I thought you might be dead... You've never bothered me. I just wish you would've come to me instead of leaving and trying to handle everything by yourself. Maybe I could've helped you get over what happened to Hugh. I don't know if I can handle you leaving again, not with everything that's..."

"I had to leave. It wasn't just about Hugh, and it had nothing to do with you or Dean. I needed time to rest and to find myself again, find out who I really am. I haven't been okay in a long time, it started even before I met you. I felt empty for such a long time. What happened to Hugh, I guess it just set things off."

She walked towards Sam and sat down on the bed next to him. "I'm sorry."

"Why?", he asked and looked at her in confusion.

"For not being around when you needed me. I was being selfish."

"No, you weren't. Don't apologize. What's been happening around here isn't your fault. I get it that you had to leave, I really do. I just wish you had let me know, I would have waited for you. God, I don't even know if you being here could've changed anything."

"Changed what? What is it that you two aren't telling me? You seem so defeated, both of you. And I saw you arguing with Dean earlier, back in Lincoln."

He looked at her, his eyes slightly wet. "Dean's dying."

"What?!" Rika was shocked. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Before the Devil's Gate opened a week ago, well, I was kidnapped by Yellow Eyes. Me and a bunch of other people, with powers just like me. We were trapped in this haunted town, and Yellow Eyes would only let one of us leave. He basically wanted us to kill each other, and the winner would get his prize - get to open the devil's gate, be his soldier and lead an army of demons", he said and looked down.

Rika's eyes slightly widened and she listened while Sam talked. "But how... did you? Did you.."

"I didn't win. I died, one of the others killed me, stabbed me in the back. I couldn't kill anyone, not people. I was dead for a couple of days, but Dean couldn't take it. So, he went and made a deal with a crossroads demon. He sold his soul for me, so I would get to live. He only has a year left, and he's basically given up hope. Now he keeps putting himself in danger, like he's not worth anything. Today he told me we can't even try to get him out of the deal, otherwise I die. But I have to find a way. I can't live without Dean. Damn it, how could he do this?"

His whole face was twisted with pain and Rika felt for him with all of her heart. She hated seeing him like this, hurting, wounded. The scars were probably so deep, she wondered if she would ever be able to help him heal them. Knowing that he had died filled her own heart with pain, she wasn't sure if she would've been able to live without him either, just like Dean. She realized that Sam was part of her world, no, he _was_ her world now.

"Good God." He was looking down and she saw a small tear falling down his cheek. She placed her hands on his face and turned it towards her, looking into his eyes. "Listen", she said and wiped the tear away gently with her thumb. "We'll find a way to help Dean. I have my contacts, maybe someone knows if there's something we can do. As long as there's life, there's hope. Don't give up. You're not alone in this anymore."

Sam felt better now, having opened up to Rika. Her words gave him a tiny glimpse of hope, a small light at the end of a very dark tunnel. He looked into her eyes, the electricity from where her hands were touching his face running through his body. Her eyes were deep and kind and caring and reminded him of the ocean, and she looked so beautiful it almost killed him. She really knew how to comfort him. He had been fighting the urge to kiss her ever since she came back, and now he couldn't anymore. He needed her, so he reached his own hands out to cup her face. She looked a bit confused at first, adorable crinkles showing up on her forehead just before he firmly pressed his lips against hers. The first kiss was sweet, the sensation of her soft lips against his own finally, after over a year, sending delicious waves of pleasure through his entire body. She tasted so good, like wild strawberries, vanilla and spice. Their lips were together only for a few seconds, and the kiss ended too soon. They looked at each other for a moment.

"Sam, I...", she begun, but she interrupted herself as she saw the hungry look in his eyes when he looked at her and instead she wrapped her arms around his neck.

When Sam first kissed Rika, she was in heaven. He tasted like chocolate and dew, and it was too good and too painful at the same time. Rika needed him, needed more, and she knew he wanted her too. After she wrapped her arms around his neck he kissed her again: first a couple of soft, electric kisses. She gently nibbled on his bottom lip, sucked it into her mouth and he sighed. But then it was like his hunger grew. The kiss turned more passionate and desperate, and when he deepened the kiss she gave out small moan, it just felt right. Before she knew it he grabbed her thighs and lifted her onto his lap so that she was straddling him. He adjusted her knees so they were pressed against his hips. It was almost as if he didn't know what to do with his hands, one moment they were buried in her hair, the next they were running up and down her back. She buried one of her hands in his hair and used the nails on the other to softly scratch his neck.

He reached his hands in underneath the fabric of her sweater, sending a chill down her spine. Sam let his fingers explore her skin, and he realized he had forgotten how soft and warm she actually was. He pulled her sweater off, making their lips part for just a fraction of second, which was already too long. He leaned slightly backwards while claiming her lips once more. When she helped him pull of his t-shirt, he growled into her mouth. He moved his hands down to her lower back, and pressed her even closer to him, as close as she could possibly get. The kissing wasn't enough. Both of them were still wearing pants, but she was grinding against his groin which made him groan and kiss her even harder. Their naked chests were pressed against each other's and the friction between skin on skin was so sweet both of them thought they would go out of their minds.

Sam wasn't exactly being as gentle as Rika remembered he had been before, but she didn't mind. This was something new, some sort of raw, primal attraction that was easing the pain inside of her, the pain she had been feeling ever since Hugh died. She let her fingers ghost down his spine, since she remembered he had liked it before and she could feel the scar on his back, the only physical reminder of his death. He reacted to her touch by growling again and pressing her even closer to him, how it was possible she didn't even know. He started kissing her neck and collarbone, and when she felt his hot breath and his tongue against the skin there, she opened her mouth but not a single sound escaped her lips. Sam was silently damning himself for jumping straight to the point, but Rika didn't seem to mind, she could've stopped him had she wanted to. Neither of them were in the mood for a long foreplay. His entire body was aching from the sensation of her soft skin against his own, the fact that her graceful hands were buried in his hair and the small, feminine sounds she was making.

The rest of their clothing flew across the room, and then, he was finally inside of her. It was almost like time had stopped and they were moving in slow motion. It was like the world belonged only to them and there was no one else. They were moving together in perfect sync, merging into one, living, breathing thing and both of them just knew they belonged to each other. The only sounds in the room were the sound of their heartbeats and their sighs and moans echoing against the walls. Rika suddenly felt alive, more alive than she had felt in a long time. Sam could feel that he was on the brink, but he didn't want it to end. He wanted it to go on forever, just him and Rika. It felt like he grew inside of her with every thrust. When the pleasure became too much for her to bear she cried out his name and he allowed himself to follow her. They were both breathing heavily in the aftermath of the hurricane they had created together, and they just sat there on the bedside. They didn't speak, they didn't have to. Sam just held her close and peppered soft kisses on her naked shoulder. Her breathing had calmed down and Sam felt her breath against his neck where she had buried her head. After a while, they laid down on the bed, wrapped in each other's arms.

-------------------------------------

Sam woke up with the morning sunlight from the motel room window on his face. He felt completely relaxed and peaceful. But something was different. He was expecting to hear Dean's snores, but the room was quiet. He grunted a bit and dug his head deeper into the pillow it was resting on. He didn't recognize his own scent on the pillow, instead it smelled of something familiar and fresh - shampoo, dew, wild flowers and sunshine. Sam just thought that the smell he thought lingered on a pillow was a remnant of the dream he had had last night. It couldn't be real. He couldn't remember what he had been doing the night before, it was still a bit of a haze. But the dream he had had, of Rika being back in his arms, it had felt so real.

Suddenly he jumped a bit as he realized it hadn't been a dream, Rika was back. And then he remembered everything. Coming clean to Rika about Dean's crossroads deal and then eager hands, naked skin, clothes flying across the room and intense satisfaction. He could still taste her on his lips, vanilla and wild strawberries and something spicy he could define only as Rika. It was her smell that lingered on the pillow, sweet and tempting. He shot up in bed and opened his eyes, afraid that she wouldn't be there anymore, that she would have left him again. He looked down on the bed, and there she was. She was so breathtakingly beautiful, the sunlight making her hair glisten in different shades of gold and bronze. Her hair was fanned out on the pillow next to his own and a little smile was playing on her lips. He sighed in relief, she was there and she was his. She was lying on the side, with one hand tucked under the pillow while her other hand hugged the covers tightly to her chest leaving her naked back exposed.

She looked so peaceful that he almost didn't want to wake her, but he couldn't help himself. Sam lowered himself back onto bed and put one arm around her waist while he used the other to keep himself slightly levered up so he could look at her. He smiled a bit before he placed a feather light kiss on her forehead and then he continued down until he kissed the tip of her nose. She crinkled her nose in an adorable manner and contently sighed a bit before she opened her eyes and looked into his.

"Best wake-up ever", she murmured with a smile that lit up the room more than the sunshine flowing through the curtains. Sam smiled back and kissed her again, this time softly on the mouth and she was eager to respond. Soon their lips were stuck together and a couple of minutes later they pulled away from each other only to catch some breath. Rika wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down towards her. He couldn't help but to moan as she pressed her body against his and he moved his hand down her thigh to lift her knee up against his hip. He kissed her shoulder, her neck and her jawline and soon they were a tangle of arms and legs and laughter and kisses as he found his way inside of her again. "_I could get used to this_", Sam thought just before he was completely lost in ecstasy.

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Twenty-five minutes later Rika was rummaging through her duffel bag, trying to find a towel and her toilet bag. She was still naked but she had wrapped the sheets from the bed around her body like a dress, she had seen no point in putting clothes on since she was going to take a shower. Sam had gone on a scavenger hunt in the room in order to find his clothes that we scattered all over the place. He was currently getting dressed since Rika had convinced him to leave her alone for a moment so she could shower and he'd go get breakfast. They had agreed to meet in the diner nearby later.

Suddenly she felt Sam wrap his arms around her waist and pull her towards him. He had clothes on now, and she smiled as she felt his lips against her neck. She leaned back against him and looked over her shoulder a bit so she could see him while he kissed his way up her neck.

"God, you're beautiful", he whispered and she giggled a bit when his hot breath tickled her ear. "You sure you want me to go? I could stay, you know."

Even though the image of them together in the shower was very tempting at the moment, she needed a little timeout. She turned herself around in his arms so she was now facing him, but she still held the sheets up around her body. "Yeah, I'm sure. We need a timeout. I'm starting to feel like that rat that got addicted to dopamine and kept pressing the pleasure button instead of the food button until it died."

He laughed. "I love you even more for even knowing about the dopamine experiment. I said something to Dean about it once and he just said ´What're you talking about, I eat?!`"

"I took psychology, remember?", she murmured against his mouth before she found his lips. They kept kissing each other while Rika was shoving him towards the door. She reached one hand out to open the room door. She could feel the state of ecstasy building up again, and they needed to stop before the situation got too heated. It took every ounce of self control she had to pull away from the kiss and get out of his arms. He reluctantly let go of her with a groan.

"Now, go", she said with a smile. "I'll find you when I'm done."

He kissed her twice more before he left the room with a smile and his laptop bag over his shoulder. She closed the door and leaned back against it with a sigh and a smile. Then she headed for the bathroom and turned on the shower. She took her time and let the water relax her muscles. She had slept with men before Sam, but it had never been like this. Back then it was just sex, but with Sam it was making love in its purest form. The way their bodies seemed to be made for each other scared her a bit, but it felt so right. Ever since that first, primal experience the night before, it was like they couldn't stop. First five more times during the night, and then again twice in the morning. It was like nothing was right when she wasn't close to him and she had never felt that way with anyone before. If she only had known, she would have found her way back to him earlier.

When she was done in the shower she took her time in front of the mirror and put on some makeup. She used black eyeliner and mascara together with dark grey and silver eyeshadow to give her eyes that smoky look that she knew brought out her eyes even more. She admired the effect and got out of the bathroom and selected a pair of black, lace panties and a matching bra that she put on along with a pair of light blue, washed out skinny jeans and a loose black t-shirt with 3/4 butterfly sleeves. She pulled up her hair in a messy bun before packing her bag.

-------------------------------------

Dean was leaning against the Impala outside of the motel room when he saw Rika come out of the room she had shared with Sam. She looked happy, and Dean was happy for his brother. At least now that Rika was back, Sammy wouldn't be alone when the time came for Dean to go to hell. Rika would take care of him, and Sam would keep hunting and helping people. The thought eased Dean's mind for a bit.

He looked at Rika as she approached him. She was stunning, he had to admit that. Sam was one lucky guy. If it wasn't for Rika and Sam he probably would have tried to have a go at her. But now he thought of her more as a friend or a sister he never had. Dean realized he didn't know much about her, Sam had refused to talk about her when she went missing, and he never really had a chance to get to know her before.

"Dean!", she called. "I need to talk to you."

She had a serious expression on her face.

"I'm taking it that Sammy told you about what happened last week."

"He did", she said calmly as she stopped in front of him.

"Is this the part where you start preaching about how wrong and stupid what I did was? Cuz' it's wasted, everyone's already told me that."

She looked at him with this unpredictable expression. "It was incredibly half-assed, stupid and probably the dumbest thing you've ever done, yes", she said. "But I'm not going to give you a big speech, I'm not your mother."

Her face softened a bit when she continued. "Truth is, I can't blame you for what you did. Hell, if I had been around, I probably would have done the same thing. So, I'm thankful."

Dean was surprised. She was the first one not to be angry with him for his decision. "Thanks Rika."

"Don't mention it. I'm just worried about what this will do to Sam."

"He'll be okay, especially now that you're around. He's much stronger than me. Just take care of him when I'm gone."

"I'll try. Who knows, maybe we'll find a way to keep your ass out of hell."

They were silent for a moment but then Rika smiled. Dean knew there was no way. He was screwed, and he didn't mind. It meant his brother would still be alive.

"Come on, let's go find Sam at the diner. I'm starving."

Dean was relieved. He had found another case for them, or actually, he had a reason behind picking that specific case. "Me too", he replied with his signature grin. "Enough chick-flick moments for one day."

Together they walked towards the diner.

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	7. Harbor: The Kids Are Alright I

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**Chapter 6 - Harbor (The Kids Are Alright Part I)**

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_We're here where the daylight begins  
The fog on the streetlight slowly thins  
Water on water's the way  
The safety of shoreline fading away_

Sail your sea  
Meet your storm  
All I want is to be your harbor  
The light in me  
Will guide you home  
All I want is to be your harbor

Fear is the brightest of signs  
The shape of the boundary you leave behind  
So sing all your questions to sleep  
The answers are out there in the drowning deep

You've got a journey to make  
There's your horizon to chase  
So go far beyond where we stand  
No matter the distance  
I'm holding your hand  
Vienna Teng - Harbor

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When Sam left Rika to take a shower back at the motel room he made his way to the diner. He wanted to do some research and try to find some way to help Dean. At the moment he was discussing one of his theories with Bobby over the phone.

"What do you mean you don't think it'll work, Bobby? It's a demon-dispelling ritual."

Sam looked over at the window as Dean tapped on it. He was holding a newspaper and had Rika in tow.

"_Trust me, it ain't gonna work"_, Bobby said on the other end as Dean and Rika entered the diner.

"Well, maybe we got the translation wrong. Look, we can't just let Dean fry in hell while he— Well, there's gotta be something!" Sam watched as Rika and Dean approached the table. He didn't want Dean to find out what he was doing. Sam barely heard Bobby on the other end as he realized he needed to hang up.

"Yeah. No. I gotta go. Okay, never mind", he said as he hang up frantically. "Hey."

He took a look at Rika, and she was looking absolutely beautiful. Her eyes captivated him even more now that she had that smoky make-up on. "Hi", she smiled and it made his knees go weak. He loved her smile more than anything in this world.

"Who was that?", Dean asked.

"Oh, I just ordered a pizza." Inside, Sam was damning himself for coming up with the worst explanation ever. Rika shot him a look, she knew he was lying. He made a mental note to tell her about his phone call later.

Thankfully, Dean didn't seem too suspicious. "Dude, you do realize that you're in a restaurant?"

"Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I just felt like a pizza, you know?", he shrugged.

"Okay, Weirdy McWeirderton", Dean said as he sat down across from Sam. "So, I think I've got something."

Rika sat down next to Sam, and their thighs brushed together for a fraction of a second. It lit a fire inside of Sam, and if they would have been alone right now, he knew they would be undressing each other. The night and morning with Rika had been amazing, and part of him wished they could just stay in bed and be alone forever.

"Yeah?", he replied Dean and tried to ignore Rika's presence and the reaction she evoked inside of him.

"In Cicero, Indiana: falls on his own power saw." Dean handed Sam the newspaper he had been holding with the article about the power saw death.

"And? What, that's it? Just one power saw?"

"Well, yeah."

"And you think that this is a case?"

"Well, I don't know. It could be."

"I don't know, Dean—", he begun but Rika took over.

"Okay Dean, spill it. What's this really about?"

Dean looked at Sam and Rika for a second, until he couldn't keep his pokerface anymore. "All right, there's something better in Cicero than just a case", he grinned.

"And that is…?"

Dean's face lit up in a wide smile. "Lisa Braeden."

"Should I even ask?"

"Remember that road trip I took… gosh, about eight years ago? You were in Orlando with Dad, wrapping up that banshee thing."

"Yeah, the five states, five days. Right."

"Well, kind of. Although I spent most of my time in Lisa Braeden's loft."

"So, let me get this straight: you wanna drive all the way to Cicero just to hook up with some random chick?", Rika asked Dean, looking slightly confused.

"She was a yoga teacher. It was the bendiest weekend of my life. Come on, have a heart, huh? It's my dying wish."

"Eww, disturbing mental images", Rika commented. "Too much information Dean!"

Sam smiled slightly at her before turning towards Dean again, he had missed her wits. "Yeah, well, how many dying wishes are you gonna get?"

"As many as I can squeeze out. Come on. Smile, Sam. God knows I'm gonna be smiling after twenty-four hours with Gumby Girl", he said fondly and took a thinking pause before continuing. "Gumby Girl. Does that make me Pokey?"

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Later that afternoon, Rika and Sam were at a diner near the Cicero Pines Motel they were staying at. Dean had barely dropped them off outside the motel before heading to Lisa Braeden's house. Sam was surfing his laptop, trying to think of ways to save Dean. He was starting to get more and more desperate. Rika walked back up to the table he was sitting at. She had been on the phone with that wicca she knew, Willow. She had thought Willow might have some ideas, and if she was as powerful as Rika said she was, Sam was slightly hopeful. He was thankful for Rika's help, she was smart and creative and she seemed hopeful about helping Dean.

"So, what'd she say?", he asked Rika as she sat down across from him and stole one of his fries.

"Well, she brought Buffy back from the dead about six years ago, but that ritual is not an option even though it technically could be used to bring Dean back if he dies."

Sam felt shot down. "Why?"

"It requires an urn of Osiris, but there are none left. Anya, who was a friend of Buffy's an Willow's managed to find the last known one on Ebay when they were bringing Buffy back, but it got completely destroyed during the ritual. Besides, its too dangerous. It messes with some deep dark magicks, and Willow nearly got killed when performing it. Not to mention the consequence being that the world almost ended because of what they did."

"Great." Sam felt defeated.

"Hey", Rika said and lifted his chin up. She smiled at him. "Don't worry, we'll find a way. Willow promised she'd look into it, she'll call me as soon as she finds something out. This just means we need to save him before he actually... well, dies."

"If she finds a way."

"If anyone can find a way, it's Will."

She leaned in and stole a kiss from him. He gave out a content sigh, Rika sure had a way of getting him in a better mood. Rika had chosen not to share a room with Sam and Dean, instead she got a separate one. She didn't want to intrude too much, since the Winchesters had travelled together and alone for so long. She wanted them to have some brotherly time of their own. Besides, even though she felt like she was falling in love with Sam all over again, she had no idea what it would be like actually living with the guy. She wasn't ready, it was too soon. They needed to get to know each other better first. On another note, she had been having nightmares ever since Hugh died and she didn't want Sam to find out about them just yet, giving him one more thing to worry about. Rika could handle the nightmares herself.

But she still wanted him close. They had almost not even touched each other since that morning, except for the little kiss they just shared. Just the kiss was enough to get Rika to ache for Sam's touch and she was just about to suggest they'd check out the motel room more closely, specifically the beds, as they were interrupted by Sam's cell.

He picked up. "Hello?"

Rika could hear Dean on the other end with her enhanced slayer hearing. "Dude. There _is_ a job here", Dean said on the other end, apparently driving.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You know that one freak accident we read about in the paper? Turns out there's four more that never even _made _the paper. All in this Morning Hill gated community: people falling off of ladders and drowning in their Jacuzzis all over the neighborhood."

"That _is_ weird", Sam replied and looked over at Rika.

"Yeah, something's up. Something these nice, big gates can't protect them from. Hey, would you and Rika mind checking out the home of one of the victims? I got the address right here."

"Sure", Sam said and scribbled down the address on a napkin. He hung up and looked at Rika. She still melted when she looked into his eyes, she loved his eyes.

"I guess we got work to do?", she said.

"Yeah."

-------------------------------------

Rika straightened out the high-waisted black pencil skirt she was wearing as she and Sam walked into the backyard at one of the victim's houses. She was wearing the pencil skirt along with a creme beige silk button down blouse and black heels. She had put a pearl necklace around her neck, and pulled her hair up into a neat bun. She had never pretended to be someone else during an investigation before, and she had to admit she could pull the look off really well. Not to mention how good Sam looked in a suit with his hair slicked back next to her. It was a wonder she could even keep her hands off him.

The man they were investigating had fallen down from a ladder and broken his neck, and his wife was showing her and Sam the place where it had happened.

"So, once again, we're very sorry to disturb you. We just wanted to really expedite that life insurance policy", Sam said and Rika thought about how sexy he looked when pretending to be an insurance agent. She shook her head slightly, she needed to concentrate on the case. Rika looked around.

"Of course", the woman said.

"Okay", Rika commented and smiled towards the woman who pointed at a ladder propped up against the wall.

"This is where he fell."

"I see. Now, how exactly did he—", Sam begun but the woman quickly interrupted him.

"He was just inside, changing a light bulb. He must have lost his balance." She looked really sad, and Rika understood her pain. After all, she had had her fair share of loss and grief, so she knew what it must feel like to lose a husband. She couldn't even imagine losing Sam.

"Were you here when this happened?", Rika asked absentmindedly as she checked out the ladder. It looked completely normal, and she couldn't sense anything that was off.

"No, I was out. The only one here was our daughter, Dakota."

"Okay", Sam said as he pretended to write something down on the notepad he was carrying. Both him and Rika looked around at the house. Rika quickly noticed a girl looking out of one of the windows upstairs. Something was wrong with the girl. She looked slightly creepy and blank and Rika could feel that something wasn't right with her.

Sam smiled at the girl, but she didn't even flinch or change her expression in any way. Rika noticed a bloodstain on the windowsill and another one on the balcony. She caught Sam's eye and nodded silently towards the bloodstains. He had noticed them too and shot her a look before speaking to the woman again. "Okay. Well, I think that's all we need. We'll get out of your way now."

"Okay, thank you."

She turned around to walk back inside the house, and Rika noticed a big, mysterious, red welt on the woman's neck. It looked just like... bite marks. But not the vampire kind. Sam and Rika made their way back to her Volvo and stopped outside before Rika took the driver's seat.

"Something's definitely off", she said. "I picked up some odd vibe around that little girl, not to mention the blood and the welt on the woman's neck. It looked just like bite marks, Sam. And not fangs."

"Yeah, I agree", Sam commented and shot a look towards the house. "We had better head back to the motel, do some research."

-------------------------------------

The drive back to the motel was silent, as both Rika and Sam were lost in their thoughts. When they walked towards Sam and Dean's room, Rika took off her shoes on the parking lot. She could have sworn they were actually trying to kill her feet.

"I hate high heels!", she commented. "Seriously, they're death traps."

Sam smiled at her and took her in his arms to pull her closer. He kissed her softly on the mouth and she moaned slightly. "You do look kind of hot as a business woman", he whispered against her mouth and she completely forgot about the case and the world around her. Then, suddenly, she realized what was wrong with the kids and pulled out of his arms.

"Bortbytingar", she said silently and looked down, trying to concentrate.

"What did you say?", Sam asked her and tried to scan her face. He was feeling confused as to why she pulled away from him.

"I just realized what's up in this town, since the kids are behaving strangely. If only I could remember what they're called in English... In Swedish it's ´bortbytingar`... Uh... Oh, I got it. Changelings! Have you ever heard of those?"

Sam looked as if he realized something. "Yeah, I've heard of them."

"Well, at least back in Scandinavia folklore usually mentions changelings. If a kid was ugly or didn't look like its parents or misbehaved, people usually said that a troll had swapped one of their children for a human child during the night. I can't remember the legends exactly, but I guess we gotta do some research on it."

"You know what, I actually think you're on to something here. It makes a lot of sense", Sam said with a smile. "You're amazing, you know that right?"

"I know", she smiled. "Come on!"

She entwined their fingers and pulled him towards the motel room. Rika tried to ignore how much she wanted Sam at that moment and the electricity between them, they had to finish this case off first. Maybe then they would have some time to themselves.

-------------------------------------

**A/N: **Reviews are better than the Winchesters in suits. :) What's your favourite folklore?

I'm trying to get up as many chapters as I can now, since I have so many ideas in my head. I'm leaving for France on Friday, and I'm staying there for three weeks so I won't be able to update during my stay there. On another note, I'm currently hunting apartments, so...


	8. Disturbia: The Kids Are Alright II

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**Chapter 7 - Disturbia (The Kids Are Alright Part II)**

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_No more gas, in the red, can't even get it started  
Nothing heard, nothing said, can't even speak about it  
On my life, on my head, don't wanna think about it  
Feels like I'm going insane, yeah_

It's a thief in the night to come and grab you  
It can creep up inside you and consume you  
A disease of the mind, it can control you  
It's too close for comfort

Put on your pretty lies, you're in the city of wonder  
Ain't gonna play nice, watch out you might just go under  
Better think twice, your train of thought will be altered  
So if you must falter be wise

Faded pictures on the wall, it's like they talking to me  
Disconnecting on calls, the phone don?t even ring  
I gotta get out or figure this shit out  
It's too close for comfort, oh

Release me from this curse I'm in  
Trying to maintain but I'm struggling  
If you can't go-o-o  
I think I'm gonna ah, ah, ah, ah

Disturbia, it's like the darkness is light  
Disturbia, am I scaring you tonight?  
Disturbia, ain't used to what you like  
Disturbia, disturbia  
Rihanna - Disturbia

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The sun had already set and it was night outside. Rika and Sam had spent the day researching changelings. As they worked, they kept shooting each other small glances, blushing and turning away when the other noticed they were staring. They had avoided touching each other, since they knew it might lead to something more, and at the moment they needed to concentrate on the case. Finally, Dean entered the room, breaking the silence between them.

"Something's wrong with the kids in this town", he deadpanned as he placed a cup of coffee in front of Sam who was surfing his laptop.

"We know", Rika retorted and when Dean offered her his third cup she just said no thanks.

"What, no coffee?", Dean asked and looked at her in confusion and Sam looked up at her with an interested look on his face.

"I don't drink coffee", she said with small shrug.

"How is it possible for a human to survive without coffee?", Dean asked directing the question more for himself than for Rika and looked at her like she was weird or something. "It's unnatural."

"One: it tastes like crap. No wait, actually, it just tastes like crap."

Sam chuckled before a bit and Dean raised an eyebrow before Sam continued. He was looking at some documents on changelings on his laptop. "So, what do you know about changelings?", he asked Dean.

"Evil monster babies?", Dean asked.

"No, not necessarily babies."

An expression of sudden realization turned up on Dean's face. "The kids. Creepy, ´stare at you like you're lunch` kids?"

"Yeah. There's one at every victim's house."

-------------------------------------

A while passed as Sam was doing some more research on changelings. He was sitting on the bed with Rika at his side looking over his shoulder. Her presence made it difficult for him to concentrate, since he felt like throwing her down on the bed and have his way with her. He couldn't stop thinking about the night before but shook his head as he tried to regain his focus. Dean was preparing a kerosene torch as Sam felt the need to speak and tell Dean and Rika what he had found, just to break the silence.

"So, changelings can perfectly mimic children. According to lore, they climb in the window, snatch the kid. There were marks on the windowsill at one of the kid's houses", he said knowing full well that he had entered geek mode.

"It looked a lot like blood, disturbingly enough", Rika commented quickly with a glance towards Sam.

"The changeling grabs a kid, assumes its form, joins the happy fam just for kicks?", Dean asked.

"Not quite. Changelings feed on the mom: synovial fluid. The moms have these odd bruises on the back of their necks. Changelings can drain them for a few weeks before mom finally croaks."

"And then there's dad and the babysitter."

"Yeah. Seems like anyone who gets between the changeling and its food source ends up dead."

"It's always with the snacks", Rika mumbled to herself and Sam smiled as he heard her comment.

Dean held up the torch. "And fire's the only way to waste them?" Sam nodded in response.

"Great. We'll just bust in, drag the kids out, torch them on the front lawn. That will play great with the neighbors. What about the real ones? What happens to them?"

"They stash them underground somewhere. I don't know why, but if it's true, the real kids might be out there."

"We should start looking for them", Rika suggested with a worried look on her face. She had always loved children, and even though she had always wanted ones of her own, she knew it wasn't an option with the slayer lifestyle. Her potential children would be in constant danger, not to mention the fact that they slayer life expectancy was short. She wouldn't want for any child to grow up without a mother. "_They must be so scared_", she thought.

"So, any kid in the neighborhood is vulnerable?", Dean asked.

"Yep", Sam replied with a glance at Rika.

"We gotta make a stop. I want to check on someone."

"If the real kids are still alive, we don't have time", Rika commented.

"We have to."

-------------------------------------

Rika and Sam waited by the Impala while Dean walked up to Lisa Braeden's house. At first they were silent but then Sam turned towards Rika.

"So, you don't drink coffee, huh?", he asked her trying to make conversation. Even though the topic was silly, it was better than the electrically charged silence between them.

"Nope, never have, never will. I don't drink tea either."

"That's kind of weird."

"You should see the list of things I don't eat, it would take a day for me to read. I really, really hate onions and garlic. Actually, all onions should be slayed in my opinion", she joked and Sam laughed. It was these little things and quirks about her that he loved the most. He was still standing with his hands in his pockets, but his eyes were darting from her eyes to her lips and he started leaning towards her. Their lips almost touched when Dean ran up to them and interrupted the moment.

"They took Ben. He's changed."

"What?! Are you sure?", Sam said and stood up straight.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I checked his windowsill."

"Blood?", Rika questioned.

"I don't think it's blood, and I think I know where the kids are."

-------------------------------------

Rika was fully in slayer mode when they pulled up outside a semi-finished house in the community. She got out of the Impala and started carefully walking towards the house, trying to listen for any sounds or detect any movement. So far there was nothing but Sam and Dean's voices as they inspected a large mound of dirt on the ground. She turned around slightly to watch them while she waited.

"Red dirt", she heard Sam say as he pinched a bit of the dirt between his fingers.

"That's what was on the window. You two take the front. I'll go around."

Rika and Sam split up from Dean and Rika looked after him as he walked around the house. She and Sam quietly made their way up to the house. Rika's fingers brushed up against Sam's hand as he was picking the lock, and he jumped a bit a the contact.

"Sorry", she whispered but he just smiled as they walked inside.

They walked with careful steps and took in every corner of the house. Suddenly Rika heard a sound behind them and turned around quickly. As Sam noticed her reaction, he turned around too. A middle-aged woman was standing in front of them, wearing a suit jacket and a skirt. She had a name tag and Rika reckoned she was a realtor or something.

"What do you think you're doing?", the woman asked and Rika was just about to come up with some excuse as she picked up a bad vibe from the woman. Both her and Sam glanced towards a window, and saw the woman's reflection. She was a changeling, her face was rotten and creepy and distorted in the window.

"This is private property. I'm calling the police", she said, trying to continue the charade.

"You heard me! Get out!", the changeling shouted and Sam put his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"I'm just putting something in my bag. We're going. We don't mean to cause any trouble." He reached into his bag and pulled out his blowtorch. Just as he lit it up, the realtor vanished.

Rika and Sam shot each other confused looks. "Where the hell did she go?", Rika asked and Sam just shrugged.

"Come on", Rika said with a glance at Sam and started walking. He was right behind her and it wasn't long until they met up with Dean. He was ushering the children out of a window.

"Dean, there's a mother", Sam said.

"A mother changeling?"

"Yeah. We've gotta get these kids out, quick."

"Right there, there's one more. You've gotta break the lock."

"I'm already on it", Rika commented as she walked up to the cage where the real realtor was held captive. It didn't take much for her to break the lock with her slayer strength. She pulled the woman, who was whimpering slightly, out of the cage.

"Hey, you're going to be okay", Rika nodded reassuringly towards the woman and smiled. "Come on."

"I guess that's why the changelings are keeping the kids alive –- so the mom can snack on them", Dean said with a disturbed look on his face.

It was at that moment that the changeling realtor entered the room. One of the children, a little girl, screamed. Rika jumped the changeling mother, but got thrown into a wall. It surprised her how strong the changeling actually was. She faintly heard Sam yell her name, but she blocked it out, trying to concentrate on the fight ahead. Both Sam and Dean were punched by the mother. She was giving them quite a beating and Rika needed to step in.

"Ben, get them out of here!", Dean yelled at one of the boys and got hit in the ribs shortly after.

Rika got up and launched herself at the mother changeling. She was hit by a couple of punches making her head tilt, but her body didn't budge. She was used to much worse punches. Rika glanced over at the window where Ben was helping the other children out of the window. When everyone was out, he followed them. Rika sighed in relief, the kids were alright. Just then the changeling mother jumped her from behind, but Sam was quick to pull her away from Rika. He managed to get in a few punches and kicks before the changeling mother threw him into a wall. Together Rika and Dean managed to get the upper hand in the fight and drove the mother changeling into a corner. Meanwhile, Sam had gotten up and walked up. He lit the blowtorch and aimed it at the changeling mother. She screamed and twisted in pain before disappearing. The trio looked at each other, still panting from the fight. Another job done.

-------------------------------------

Later, Sam and Rika were waiting for Dean to talk to Lisa, wanting to give them some time alone. Sam was actually happy at the fact that Lisa and Ben meant something to Dean, it was about time his brother found something to love but Sam and himself. Sam was just about to say something to Rika, when they were interrupted by her cellphone. He looked at her as she picked up.

"Hey Willow, what's up?"

Sam tensed. Maybe Willow had come up with a way to save Dean? Hadn't she promised she'd call as soon as she found something? He looked at Rika and saw she had a shocked look on her face.

"Geez, are you absolutely sure?", she asked and paused, waiting for Willow to reply on the other end. "Okay, thanks, I'll tell him. Just keep looking will you? Bye."

She hung up and Sam was staring at her intently. "So?", he asked.

Rika looked at him with this expression he wasn't able to read. It was a mixture of shock and concentration, like she was in deep thoughts. "Willow looked into your family."

"Why?", he asked, shocked at the fact that this wicca he didn't even know had run a background check on him and his family.

"It's just routine, she was trying to see if she could come up with something to help Dean if she knew more about your family. That's not the troubling part, the thing that's troubling is what she found out."

Sam walked towards Rika and placed his hands on her upper arms as he looked into her eyes. "What did she find?"

"Your mom's friends. They're dead. All of them. Her doctor, her uncle, everyone who ever knew her. They were systematically wiped off the map one at a time. Someone went through a hell of a lot of trouble, trying to cover their tracks."

Sam didn't know what to think. It felt like a combination of shock and pain and a bunch of questions. Now he knew why Rika had looked the way she did after finishing her call with Willow. "Oh my God", he said and looked down. "Why? Who?"

"She had no idea, and neither do I. I guess yellow-eyes had something to do with it. The question is, what does it mean?"

A deadly silence rose up between them, as they both stood there lost in their thoughts. Sam felt like he was starting to go insane. What had yellow-eyes been planning for him? Why did all of his mothers friends have to die? Yellow-eyes had told him that it had been all about him, not his mum. She had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time according to the demon, and that was why he had killed her. What was going on?

-------------------------------------

**A/N: **I'll be in France from July 3rd to July 25th, so there won't be any new chapters until I'm back. However, I really appreciate reviews and comments on the chapters that are already up.


	9. Somebody Help Me

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**  
Chapter 8 - Somebody Help Me**

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_I'm being haunted by a whisper  
A chill comes over me  
I've been trapped inside this moment  
I'm not a victim, I'm not a freak_

Free me  
before I slip away  
Heal me  
wake me from this day  
Can somebody help me?

I've seen the face of my affliction  
of my reality  
I'm being tortured by the future  
of things that are yet to be  
I'm being haunted by a vision  
it's like the morning never comes  
I feel the burden of confusion  
always searching... on the run

Now, I'm not a hero... no  
but the weight of the world's on my soul  
these imagines burn my eyes  
they're burning me up inside   
Full Blown Rose - Somebody Help Me

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Sam couldn't sleep. He had been tossing and turning in bed for a couple of hours and he was still restless. It was like he had a thousand ants running around in his veins and his mind kept moving from one thing to another. The discovery that all of his mother's friends were dead was bothering him, he was worried about Dean and he missed Rika. Dean was snoring in the bed next to his and Rika was probably asleep in the room next to their's. She still wouldn't stay in the same room as him and Dean, she kept saying they needed their brotherly time and she needed some time for herself. She had also joked something about not wanting to listen to Dean's snoring all the time. Sam would have given anything to have her there sharing his bed at the moment, to hold her in his arms, take in her scent and feel her warmth against his body. He hadn't been sleeping well lately, he had too many things on his mind. It was like he couldn't calm himself down in order to fall asleep anymore, if Rika wasn't there.

He sighed and sat up in his bed. Staying in bed wasn't doing any good, so he decided to go outside on the motel porch and catch some fresh air. He opened the door as carefully as he could, trying not to wake Dean. He walked out into the night air, took a deep breath and locked the door behind him. He glanced towards Rika's room, and noticed there was light coming through the curtains. Was she awake? He walked up to her door and knocked lightly. If she was awake, she would hear it. And she did.

"Who is it?", he heard her voice from inside the room.

"It's Sam. I couldn't sleep and saw you had your light on, so I thought..."

"Come in, the door's unlocked."

He opened the door and walked in to her room. She was sitting on her bed, leaning against the headboard with a pillow propped up behind her back. She was wearing a forest green tank top and a pair of black hipster shorts panties. She had put her hair up into two loose braids and she was looking in some sort of book, a photo album maybe? He couldn't help but to admire her body once again, especially her bare legs and feet. They looked so graceful, like she was a dancer or something.

"Why do you keep your door unlocked?", he commented. "Isn't that a bit careless?"

"It's not careless. There's a million nasty things that want me dead", she replied and looked up at him. "I don't think a lock is going to stop them if they find me so I might as well keep the door unlocked. I say bring it on."

He noticed that her eyes were watered, as if she had been crying. "Are you crying?", he asked worriedly and walked towards her. "What's wrong?"

She laughed a bit and wiped a tiny tear away from underneath her eye with her index finger. "Nothing's wrong. I was just looking at some old photos and it made me a bit nostalgic."

"Can I see?"

"Sure", she replied and moved a bit to the side, making room for him to sit down next to her on the bed. He sat down and put one of his arms around her waist. She also moved her legs so they were resting on top of his and then she placed the album so her could see the photographs too. The first one was of a younger Rika with a brown-haired girl that looked about the same age. They were standing with their feet in the water at a sandy beach with blue sky behind them, both of them them were laughing and they looked really happy. By the way the light was hitting them, Sam figured out it had to be a late afternoon, just before sundown.

"Who is she?", he asked.

"My best childhood friend. We were celebrating my 18th birthday when this was taken", she explained.

The next photo was of her sitting on the cliffs at the same beach. A boy was sitting next to her with his arms around her waist, and Rika was leaning her head against his shoulder. They were looking out over the sea, smiling. By the clothes Rika was wearing in the picture, he figured it was taken the same day as the photo before. The boy was tanned, had blond hair and curious, bright blue eyes. Sam felt a sting of jealousy, was he an old boyfriend of hers? The thought of her with some other guy was unbearable to him. He looked at Rika sitting next to him and noticed she was looking at him, trying to scan his face and read his reaction. He gulped a bit and looked down before looking back at Rika.

"Old boyfriend?", he asked and felt a bit awkward.

She was hesitant for a few seconds, but then she gave a short response. "Yes."

"Was he... was he your... first?", he asked.

"Yes", she said again and he wished she would have said something more, other than the tiny, frustrating word that a simple "yes" was.

"Did you two...", Sam begun, trying to find a subtle way of asking her if they had been together intimately as well. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to know the answer. It was like Rika knew what he wanted to ask and she replied before he got his question out.

"Yeah. It kinda felt right at the time."

"Oh", was all Sam could get out. He couldn't exactly describe what he was feeling, part of it was jealousy towards the guy for knowing a part of Rika he would never know. He looked at his feet and swallowed. "What happened?"

"He almost got killed by some vampires because of me, so I broke it off just before graduation."

"Did you tell him who you were?"

"No, I didn't. He never realized what actually happened."

"Did you love him?"

"In a way, I did. But it wasn't that kind of ´last a lifetime` love, more like a teenage crush. I think we would probably have grown apart anyways. I had already decided to move to Boston and he was going to school in Helsinki after his military service. It wouldn't have worked."

Sam didn't know what to say, so he was silent for a moment. In the corner of his eye he noticed that Rika was looking at him with a pondering expression on her face.

"Sam?", she asked.

"I'm sorry, I'm just...", he begun but then stopped.

"Look", she said and he looked into her eyes. "I wasn't a nun before we met, and it isn't like you lived in celibacy either. I dated in college too, but it was never serious. No one, and I mean no one, has ever made me feel the way you do. Or known me the way you do. Nobody."

She looked so sincere when she said those words, and Sam's mind was eased. He smiled at her, suddenly feeling mischievous. "Oh yeah? And how is that?", he asked with a smirk.

Rika just smiled at him before the album fell to the floor and she placed her graceful hands on his face and leaned in to kiss him with passion. When she did she pressed her entire body against him and it was like she set him on fire. They hadn't been together since that first night and morning after she had returned, and he was aching for her. He reached his hands out and placed one on her lower back and moved the other one to cup her neck and pull her closer. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip and it was enough for him to go into a frenzy of lust and desire. He pushed her to lay down and moved himself on top of her. He let out a small moan of pleasure just before he reached out to pull off her top.

-------------------------------------

Afterwards they got dressed and Rika snuggled herself into his arms. She heard Sam let out a content sigh before she let herself fall asleep.

_Rika was walking down a path in the forest. It was autumn, and the leaves were in shades of red, yellow and orange. The sky was blue and the sun was shining, it certainly was a beautiful day. Rika knew that she was dreaming, but she wasn't complaining. She actually liked this dream so far, atleast more than the nightmares she usually had. Rika didn't know where she was going so she just followed the path. After walking for a while, Rika found an old iron bed with white sheets in the middle of the forest. It looked surreal and Rika wondered what the bed was doing there. She walked up to it and as she placed her hand on the cold bed frame, the scenery changed._

_This time the scene felt more familiar, but Rika couldn't place it. It felt like a distant memory, a memory she couldn't manage to get out. Then she realized it was Hugh's old living room, and it was covered in darkness. Suddenly, she saw Hugh with black eyes standing in the middle of the room, just before the walls started to burn and fall in. Rika screamed in Swedish. "Nej, nej!" This was a familiar dream, a nightmare she had been having ever since Hugh died. They kept getting worse each night, she was reliving the moment her watcher died over and over in her sleep._

_Hugh morphed into a blond girl with a knife, her eyes also black. She smirked and opened her mouth, as if she wanted to tell Rika something, but no sounds escaped her lips. In a blink of the eye the female demon was gone. Instead there was a redheaded girl hanging upside down from the ceiling, dressed all in white. Her eyes were wide-open and she was bleeding from her chest. She opened her mouth and got out an "Help me" before her head went limp. "Who are you?", Rika asked, but it was too late. The woman was dead._

_The scenery changed again and Rika found herself on a green meadow. It was a beautiful, sunny day, with a cloudless blue sky. She was all alone, and she could hear the birds singing and she could smell the sweet smell of wild flowers, maybe lavender. She noticed a headstone in the middle of the meadow. With careful steps she walked up to it, afraid of whose it might be. "Dean Winchester", it read. Then the text on the headstone changed. "Rika Johansson". Rika screamed._

Rika shot up in bed, gasping for breath. Sam was sleeping peacefully in the bed next to her. She pulled her knees up against her stomach as she sat on the bed and ran her hands through her hair. The covers were sticking to her skin, which was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. She was breathing heavily and her heart was beating fast after her intense nightmare so she got up from bed and walked to the bathroom. She needed to calm herself down.

-------------------------------------

Sam woke up abruptly and sat up in bed. Rika wasn't there anymore, something was wrong. He looked around the room and noticed a small streak of light coming from the bathroom since the door was slightly open. He got up from bed and walked towards the bathroom.

"Rika?", he called but she didn't answer and he was starting to get worried. He opened the bathroom door and found Rika bending over the sink, staring into the mirror without even flinching when he called her name.

"Rika?", he tried again but she just kept staring. "What's wrong? Why don't you come back to bed?"

She still didn't reply and he carefully touched her arm. "Talk to me."

She jumped a bit, as if she hadn't noticed he had entered even though he had spoken to her, and he noticed her entire body was trembling. "Hey, you're shaking...", he said softly and pulled her into his arms, and held her head against his chest. He kissed the top of her head and she drew a deep, rugged breath and sobbed quietly against his chest. He stroked her back and hair with his hands, trying to calm her down. "What happened?", he asked.

"Nightmare", she said, her voice muffled against his chest.

"Hush, it's okay, I'm here, it was just a dream", he comforted her and then she pulled away. She wasn't shaking or sobbing anymore, instead she looked concentrated. It always puzzled him when she did that, suddenly jumping from some sort of emotion into deep concentration.

"No, it wasn't just a dream. The cryptic levels on that one was at max, so I'm guessing it was one of my prophetic dreams. God, I haven't had one of those in ages...", she added.

Sam wasn't quite sure how to deal with this, Rika had only mentioned her prophetic dreams to him once before, when she told him and Dean who she really was when they first met her. He knew they were part of the "slayer package", as she used to say, but she had never told him about one of her dreams before.

"What was it like?", he asked.

"Well, the beginning wasn't exactly new, but it changed towards the end. The usual nightmare usually stops when...", she interrupted herself, and looked slightly embarrassed, like she noticed she had slipped and said too much.

He looked at her. "Stops when what?"

"When Hugh dies", she confessed silently and looked down. "I've been reliving it in my dreams."

"How long have you been having these nightmares?", he asked.

"Ever since..."

"Hugh died?"

"Yeah. Every single night. And it gets more vivid every time."

The pain in her eyes was too much for Sam to bear. He would have given anything to make it go away. "Why didn't you tell me about this? Is this why you've refused to share a room with me and Dean?", he asked.

"Because I didn't want to worry you. It's something I have to deal with by myself, you can't exactly fix my dreams. And yeah, it was partially the reason. I didn't want you to find out", she said and looked slightly ashamed.

"You know you can talk to me about anything, don't you?"

"Yeah. Yes, I do. But I figured you have enough on your mind already with Dean and everything. Sorry."

"Just tell me next time, okay?", he said and she nodded. He just wanted her to let him in, and not keep all of her troubles to herself. He knew she was completely devoted to them and their relationship, and that she loved him more than anyone else, but she was also stubborn and independent. And free like a bird. "So, the rest of your dream. What was it like?"

"Well, Hugh was standing in the middle of his burning living room with black eyes, and that's when I usually wake up. But it was different this time. He changed into this blond girl, a demon I think. At least her eyes were black. She was holding a knife and tried to say something, but I couldn't hear her. Then she disappeared and instead there was a woman with red hair, who asked me to help her. And then I woke up."

She left out the last part of her dream. She already knew that Dean would be dying if they couldn't find a way for him out of his deal, but her own name on a headstone freaked her out. What did it mean? Was Rika herself going to die? Or was is just a symbol for something else? She was very aware that her prophetic dreams usually weren't what the seemed, they weren't exactly literal. Sometimes she wished the powers would send her a big, flashing, neon sign with all the information she needed instead of being so damn cryptic. She couldn't tell Sam and worry him before she knew more.

Sam was thinking about Rika's dream. Something seemed off, like there was something she wasn't telling him, but he decided not to push it. She would tell him when she was ready.

"So, what does it mean?", he asked.

"I have no idea", she shrugged and sighed in frustration. "I hate prophetic dreams, why do they have to be so cryptic? Can't there just be a big neon sign that tells me where to go and what to do?", she joked.

"What should we do then?"

"I don't know. The dreams usually unveil themselves sooner or later. Before that, there's nothing I can do."

"Come on, let's go back to bed", Sam suggested and took her hand. "Maybe we'll think better in the morning."

She followed him into the motel room and they climbed into bed. Sam put his arms around Rika and pulled her closer. She snuggled herself against his chest, and soon he heard her calm, rhythmic breathing. She had fallen asleep. He stayed awake for a while and watched her sleep. Once he was sure she was peaceful, he kissed her forehead and allowed himself to slumber off into a sleep with worrying dreams of his own.

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**A/N: **Back from France now, and I shall continue with the story. Reviews are highly appreciated! :)


	10. Clear The Area

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**  
Chapter 9 - Clear The Area**

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_Knock, knock... are you alone?  
No one's out here and I was not followed.  
Love, love... you're already home.  
Party's over and you don't look so good._

You find your way back down.  
And I'll keep the area clear... please clear the area.  
When you find your way back down... in one piece.  
Then I'll just be waiting here... right here.

Low light... mercury morning...  
No need to stay as it's always nothing.  
But your eyes tell a whole other story... and I feel the weight of the world.  
Won't talk... Won't try... just move...  
It's too still in your sadness.  
Cry... give up... it's okay...  
You've just got to trust me.

Slowly... darling... nobody means anymore to me than you  
If you're in... baby then I'm in (into this)... with you, always.  
Careful... close to the edge... (You're scaring me)  
Fall in to my arms.... (where did it all fall?)  
Fall... into love... love...  
Imogen Heap - Clear The Area

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Rika could feel her heart racing, her pulse picking up its pace as she ran full slayer speed across the cemetery. She loved running at full speed, and she got to do it way too seldom. It was a chilly night, but she didn't give it much notice. She had waited until she was sure Sam and Dean were sleeping to get dressed and sneak out of the room she was sharing with them. After Sam had found out about her nightmares, she had no reason not to share a room with the brothers. However, it hadn't been easy to nudge herself out of Sam's arms without waking him, but she had succeeded. The prophetic dream Rika had had was still bothering her, and she needed a good fight to get her mind off of it. Sam probably wouldn't have approved, but she didn't want to ask him and give him a chance to talk her out of it, so instead she snook out in the middle of the night. At the moment she was chasing a vampire that she (fortunately for her, not so fortunately for him) had stumbled upon shortly after approaching the cemetery. Once he had realized who she was, he had started running. But she wasn't going to let him get away, she couldn't.

The adrenaline was rushing through her veins as she caught up with the vampire and jumped him from behind, making them both fall to the ground. She was happy to be up against a simple vamp, it had been a while since the last time. Sam and Dean were always picking different cases, and she kind of missed the vampires, no matter how messed up that sounded. It was the slayer nature, and all she knew when she went up against a vampire was that it was going to lose and she was going to win. There was no question about it, or so she had decided. The outcome couldn't be any different. When she was fighting she was fully concentrated as she had learned to shut out the outside world. It gave her an advantage.

She got into a struggle with the vampire on the ground as they were kicking and punching at each other. Rika had the upper hand in the beginning, until the vampire managed to get in a good kick in her stomach, and she flew up slamming against a tree nearby. She huffed a bit at the sharp impact and the sudden pain that hit her. The vampire got up on its feet, and so did Rika, while ignoring the pain in her shoulder. It was probably dislocated, once again. She seemed to be and expert at managing to get her shoulder dislocated. She was ready as the vampire launched itself at her.

-------------------------------------

It was almost dawn as Rika slowly made her way back to the motel. The fight with the vampire had taken longer than she had estimated, and had been way more difficult than she had estimated. It had turned out that the vampire had a friend. He was apparently an old vampire as he was a good fighter. She wondered where the hell all vampires picked up those martial art skills. After a long, tiring fight, Rika had finally managed to take out the two vampires with the scythe. It was a gray morning, and a slight mist masked the surroundings. _"Mercury colored morning_", Rika thought as she walked towards the motel room. Normally she would have enjoyed this morning since it was beautiful, but she couldn't help but to hope that Sam and Dean hadn't woken up and noticed she was gone. There'd be hell to go through with the brothers if they had, they'd be pacing around the motel room worried sick by now. Especially Sam. Her heart started racing and her entire body started tingling as she thought of Sam. At the moment however, her only concern was to sneak into the bathroom in order to get herself stitched up before the Winchesters woke up, if they hadn't already.

When Rika silently opened the motel room door and walked in, she almost sighed of relief. The brothers were still sleeping in their beds, just as she had left them prior to midnight. When she started walking across the room, one of the floorboards squeaked slightly. Rika cursed in Swedish in her thoughts and stopped. Dean mumbled a bit in his sleep and shifted slightly in the bed, but the brothers didn't wake up. With slow steps and a bit calmer, Rika walked to the bathroom, opened the door, got inside and locked the door behind her. She didn't want to risk getting walked in on.

A quick glance in the mirror made her realize her injuries were pretty bad, she looked like hell. She would have a really difficult time concealing this from Sam and Dean, especially Sam. She had a nasty, red cut on her forehead, which was her biggest problem. She pulled some grass out of her hair and then looked down at her shirt, which was soaked in blood. She had scratched herself on a branch that the two vampires had thrown her against. Her shoulder was still dislocated as she hadn't had the time to pop it back into place, and with her luck she probably had a broken rib or too as well. She was just thankful she didn't bruise easily, otherwise she'd already be black and blue all over. She had to pull her leather jacket off in order to attend to her wounds, and she dreaded it. But she knew it had to happen like when you pulled off a band-aid, fast and without hesitating. The first sleeve wasn't difficult, but when she came to the one covering her dislocated shoulder, she had to bite her lip not to scream in pain. It hurt more than she had anticipated, and afterwards she was breathing heavily, trying to get through the pain. Rika knew she wouldn't be able to pull off her t-shirt as well, so she decided to cut it off, it was ruined anyway. She'd have to hide it and throw it away before Sam noticed the bloody t-shirt.

When she pulled off the broken t-shirt, she let out a tiny gasp in pain, unintentionally. She took a glance at the wound on her side. It was long and looked nasty, but thankfully it wasn't very deep. With her enhanced healing ability, it'd be completely gone by the next day. She'd just have to avoid Sam seeing her without a shirt until it was gone, and it would probably be a very difficult task. Just as she looked in the mirror again, noticing that her eyes had teared up, she heard someone knock on the door. She cursed again, and tried to sound as normal and as calm as possible.

"Yeah?" She quickly realized how broken and raspy her voice was, another reason to damn herself.

It was Sam on the outside. "Rika? What're you doing? You okay? I thought I heard some noises."

"_Damn it"_, Rika thought just before replying to Sam. "Yeah, I'm fine, I was just going to take a shower before Dean wakes up and hogs it for three hours." She tried sounding as normal as possible, but she couldn't quite pull it off.

"You sure you're fine?", he asked softly and she could hear the worry in his voice. "Why don't you open the door?"

"Nah, I'm okay, really. Just go back to bed."

He was silent at first, but when he spoke again he sounded more determined. "Rika, open the door now, or I'll break it down." Somehow, he knew. She wasn't sure how, but it was like he had some sixth sense.

"Fine, just wait a sec."

She took a quick glance around the room, hoping she had left a clean shirt there somewhere, to hide her injuries with. She cursed silently again as she realized the bathroom was empty, typically her luck. She had no other option but to open the bathroom door in her current state. She quickly gathered the stuff next to the sink into a little pile, washed away as much of the blood from her face and body as she possibly could and hid the cut on her forehead with her hair and then walked up to the door. She took a deep breath before opening up. She just cracked the door open a little, so he wouldn't be able to get a clear view of anything else than her face.

"See, perfectly fine", she smiled at him.

"You don't look fine to me", he said as he scanned her face. His eyes were widened and worried and he reached out his hand to pull her hair away from her forehead, thus seeing her cut. "What the hell did you do? You're hurt!"

He forced his way into the bathroom and gasped as he saw her in nothing but her bra and jeans, with a wound on her stomach, a dislocated shoulder, a cut in her forehead and various small cuts and bruises all over. The knuckles on her left hand were injured from some punching, and they were bleeding.

"Jesus", he got out before he found the medical kit and rushed back to her, and took her hand, starting to clean the cuts on her knuckles as gently as he could. It hurt and stung so she bit her lip not to scream or gasp and tilted her head slightly backwards, trying to be strong and ignore the pain she was in.

"What happened?", he asked with his calmest and softest voice, but she could tell he was really worried and angry on the inside. It was shining through.

"I fought some vampires", she replied. Rika thought it would be better to just be honest, he had already caught her.

Sam looked up at her with shock and sadness in his eyes. "And they did this? You don't usually look like this after a fight! This is really bad, you know that right?"

"Yeah, I kind of noticed. It was more difficult than I had expected. There was just one at first, but it turned out he had a friend."

"Why are you even sneaking out to fight vampires all alone in the middle of the night?", he asked as wrapped her hand up in bandages. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know. You just have to trust my judgment, okay?" Rika looked down, she had no idea what to tell him. She didn't want to worry him, and she knew she had to do something about this. She needed some kind of closure in order to go back to her old self. And that's when she knew what she had to do.

"I think I need to pay Hugh's grave a visit. I think it's about time."

Sam just looked up at her and nodded. He understood. She had some ghosts to chase away from her before she could fully devote herself to anything else, like for example their relationship. He loved her so much, and all he wanted was for her to be happy. After that they were silent as he moved to put her shoulder back in place. When he did it really hurt and Rika screamed a bit, but he quickly took her into his arms to hold as she breathed through the pain.

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	11. Gabriella's Song: Bad Day at Black Rock

**A/N: **Bad Day at Black Rock was one of my favourite episodes of Supernatural season 3, because it was damn funny and just plain awesome. On the other hand, for the sake of this story, I had to cut down on using this episode. Sorry. ;) This is also the episode where they meet Bela, a character who I really liked, mostly cuz she annoyed the boys. I felt so sad for her when the hellhounds got her, even though she was kind of evil.

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**Chapter 10 - Gabriella's Song (Bad Day at Black Rock)**

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_It's now that life is mine  
I've received a moment here on earth  
And my desire has brought me here  
What I've missed and what I've got_

Yet, it's the road I've chosen  
My comfort far behind the words  
That have showed a little piece  
Of the heaven I've never reached

I want to feel that I'm alive  
All the time I have  
I'll live the way I want  
I want to feel that I'm alive  
Know that I'm enough

I've never forgotten who I was  
I've only let it sleep  
Maybe I had no choice  
Only the will to exist

I want to live happily  
Because I am me  
Be able to be strong and free  
See how the night turns to day

I'm here  
And my life is only mine  
And the heaven I thought existed  
I shall find there somewhere

I want to feel that I've lived my life  
Helene Sjöholm - Gabriella's Song  
(free translation of "Gabriellas Sång" from the Swedish movie "Så Som I Himmelen")

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It was in the middle of the night, and Sam and Dean were on the road as usual, but this time without Rika. They had just dropped her off in Boston were now trying to find a motel. She was going to pay a visit to her watcher's grave, as he had been buried in Boston. He had had no family left in England, so Rika had made the decision to bury him in Boston, a city he had come to love a lot. Sam had volunteered to go with her as emotional support, but she had refused. "_I need to do this alone_", she had told him while shaking her head, and he hadn't argued.

He missed her already, aching to see her again even though they had seen each other only half an hour ago. He had just gotten her back and now they were apart once again. Only this time he knew she was going to come back. She had promised him not to do any slaying while in Boston, and to call him as soon as she was done. He was still a bit shocked at the fact that he had found her injured in the bathroom the other night, after sneaking out to fight vampires without his knowledge. Sam touched his cheek with his fingertips, still remembering the quick kiss she had given him there right before walking away from the car. He sighed and got a glare from Dean who was driving.

"You're okay, right? I mean, you're feeling okay...", Dean asked him and looked at him suspiciously.

"Yes! I'm fine! Why are you always asking me that?"

Suddenly a cellphone started ringing, and Sam automatically reached for his pocket, only to realize it wasn't his phone that was ringing. "It's not mine."

Dean was looking around for his cellphone too, but he didn't find it. Then it looked as if he realized something. "No. Check the glove compartment, it's dad's."

"Dad's?", Sam asked his brother in confusion, but opened the glove compartment only to find a small silvery cellphone, ringing.

"Yes. I keep it charged up in case any of his old contacts call."

Sam flipped the phone open and answered. "Hello?"

"Edgar Casey?"

"Yes, this is Edgar Casey." Sam looked towards Dean who was looking a bit confused. Sam shrugged and furrowed his brow a bit in confusion.

"This is the manager from Phil's Storage up in Buffalo. I'd just like to let you know that someone's just broken into your container. Should I call the cops?"

"No, no. Don't call the police. I'll handle this myself. Thanks. You know, can you just lock it back up for me?"

"Of course."

"Great. You know, I don't have my book in front of me. Do you have the address?"

"Yeah, do you have something to write it down on?"

"Sure, okay. Go ahead."

The man mumbled an address and Sam scribbled it down on a piece of paper with a pen Dean handed to him.

"I'll see you when you arrive then. I gotta go."

"Right. Thanks a lot", Sam replied and hung up. Then he turned towards Dean.

"Did dad ever tell you he kept a container at a storage place?"

"What?"

"Outside of Buffalo?"

"No way."

"Yeah. And someone just broke into it."

"We'd better get going then", Dean replied while shaking his head and accelerating the car.

Sam picked up his own cellphone with a sigh. He needed to call Rika and let her know they would be going to Buffalo. It took a few signals before she picked up and he heard her melodic voice.

"_Hey, what's up? You're not in trouble already, are ya?"_,she asked sounding clearly amused.

Sam could feel his pulse rising, it was strange how just hearing her voice got his heart racing. He laughed a bit before replying. "No, I'm fine. I just got a strange call though, apparently our dad used to keep some storage container outside Buffalo. The manager called his old cellphone and told us someone has broken into it, and we should probably go check it out. You gonna be okay?"

"_Yeah, why wouldn't I? You guys go ahead, I could always meet up with you in Buffalo when I'm done here_."

Sam was relieved. "Great. Just be careful, okay?"

"_You too. I think I'll just call it a night, sleep over here at my old place, and get everything I need to do done tomorrow. Love you."_

"I love you too."

Sam then hung up and leaned back in his seat. This was going to be another long night.

-------------------------------------

Rika stretched her arms above her head as she sighed. She had just woken up in her old bed in her old apartment in Boston. She couldn't deny it felt strange without Sam. She had already gotten used to waking up next to him with their legs tangled together during the short time they had shared a bed. Rika felt like not getting up from the bed as she knew this was going to be a mentally difficult day for her. She hadn't visited Hugh's grave or the cemetery he was buried at since his funeral, she just hadn't been able to. It couldn't go on like this any longer though. Even this night she had woken up screaming from a nightmare about Hugh's death. She needed closure, and fast. Perhaps visiting Hugh was the way. With a small groan Rika forced herself out of bed and got dressed.

---

Rika stood outside the gates to the cemetery where Hugh was buried, trying to gain enough strenght to enter and look up his lot. She noticed she was shaking a bit, not because it was cold, but because she was nervous. She sighed and took a deep breath, it couldn't be that bad, could it? And then she walked inside the cemetery with determined steps. "_I can do this"_, she thought. _"I have to do this."_

It took Rika a while to find Hugh's headstone. She knew exactly where it was, but she walked slowly, trying to put off the inevitable. And then she spotted the stone, a beautiful one in white marble with golden letters. "Hugh Tennant" it read, and it seemed a bit surreal to her, like it wasn't real, like it was a dream. She realized how much she actually missed her watcher. They hadn't always seen eye-to-eye, but he had been her mentor, her guide, her friend and something of a father figure to her. Her own father was back in Finland, and even though she loved him, she couldn't see him as often as she would have wanted. It was the sacrifice she had to make to keep her family safe. Rika walked up to the headstone and bent down to place the bouquet of red roses she had brought with her in front of the stone. She stood like that for a while, and then she spoke.

"Hi Hugh. I'm sorry I didn't visit you earlier, but I just couldn't. I'm ready now, I hope."

Rika noticed she had started to cry and she had to take another few deep breaths to calm her voice down. It was getting harder to speak. "I... I miss you. I miss you a lot. Hugh... I've been so lost since you died, and I have no idea what to do anymore, without you here to guide me. And I keep having these nightmares, and it scares me."

Rika laughed a sarcastic laugh and wiped away a couple of her tears. "God, this is so... difficult. I'm sorry Hugh, that I didn't notice, that I didn't get there on time. I couldn't save you and I blame myself for that. You'd just say it's nonsense, that there was nothing I could've done. And you're right. But I can't help but to think this was all my fault. I hope that wherever you are, you can forgive me. And thank you, for everything. I hope you're okay."

Rika collapsed down onto the ground, the emotions going through her body became too much for her to handle. She pressed her palms and her left cheek against the ground. She was lying there for a while, crying and shaking from her quiet sobs. After a while though, the tears finally stopped. She had none left. Right after Hugh died the year before, she thought she had cried all her tears, but at that moment she realized she hadn't. Instead she had kept all the grief and all the feelings bottled up inside, and all this time they had been struggling to get out. Rika had blocked everything out, and she had been running away, she knew that now.

When all the tears where gone, the pain was starting to get better. It had been so difficult for her to breathe since that night when Hugh died, the pain inside almost unbearable. It was starting to ease now. A long time ago, she had accepted her destiny and all the sacrifice it came with. She had accepted the short life expectancy that came with the job. There had been times when she just had wanted to quit slaying and ignore everything that was happening in the darkness. There had been times when she would have given anything not to be the chosen one, the one with the weight of the world on her shoulders. But now, she didn't feel that. She felt strong.

It was there, at Hugh's grave, when she realized that she was alive. Her life was hers, and only hers. She wasn't going to give it up, and she made a decision. She was going to live life to the fullest from that moment forward, make the best of her fate. And when her time came, she would be ready. She had lost herself for a while, forgotten who she was. Now she was ready to wake up.

She wiped away the remnants of her tears from her cheeks and whispered an "I love you, Hugh" before getting up from the ground. Rika glanced at her watch after quickly brushing the dust off her clothes. It wasn't long until nightfall, and she wanted to get back to Sam. She still had to jump on a bus or something to get to Buffalo. She couldn't shake the feeling that he might be needing her help.

On her way towards her old apartment to get her stuff, Rika passed a tattoo parlor. She stopped for a moment and thought: _"Ahh, what the hell."_ She turned around and walked inside the store.

-------------------------------------

When Rika had gotten to Buffalo, Sam hadn't answered his cellphone, so Rika had called Dean who had given her the address to the motel they were staying at. Dean had told her something about Sam not being allowed to use his cell because of something about a rabbit's foot, but he hadn't had time to explain. What had the boys gotten themselves into this time?

Rika opened the door to the room the boys had gotten, and was shocked and utterly confused at the sight that met her. The boys didn't even notice she entered. Dean was standing in the middle of the room looking all suave and proud with his arm stretched out. Two men she didn't recognize were lying on the floor, knocked out. And Sam was tied to a chair. It seemed like he had been through hell: his knees were scraped up and bleeding, and his face was bleeding in various places, probably a result of him being hit.

"I'm Batman", Dean suddenly said and smirked at Sam.

Sam looked up at Dean from the chair and used his most sarcastic tone when replying. "Yeah. You're Batman."

Then his eyes turned towards the door where Rika was standing with her mouth open in confusion.

"Rika?", Dean asked as he also turned towards her.

"Could someone please explain to me what the hell is going on here?", she said and let her eyes dart between both the Winchesters.

---

"I can't leave you two doofuses alone for two seconds without something like this happening? You two really are professionals", Rika stated after listening to Sam and Dean's story about what had happened while she was gone. She was tending to Sam's wounds at the moment and he flinched a bit as she cleaned his scraped knees, it probably stung a bit.

When she looked at the brothers' faces, she couldn't help but to laugh. Both of them looked so embarrassed.

"It's not funny!", Sam commented with an exasperated look on his face.

Dean gave Sam his signature smirk. "Actually bro, it kind of is funny how much you suck."

"Oh, like you're any better!"

Rika thought it was best interrupting them before they got into another grapple. "Okay, okay, calm down both of you", she managed to get out between the laughs. "So, what are we going to do with the rabbit's foot now? You got it from the British girl right?"

"There's a purification ritual that has to be done at the cemetry", Sam explained. "We already have all the stuff we need."

"Okay, so why don't you two go get started with it, and I'll meet up with you there. I need to get changed." She finished by putting a compressor on Sam's knee. "I'm done."

As she showed the boys towards the door, she couldn't help but to tease Sam a bit. He was still looking so embarrassed. She turned towards him with a smile. "Try not to be too clumsy, okay? I'm not cleaning any more scraped knees."

Her comment earned a chuckle from Dean and a look from Sam. Before he went out the door, he turned towards her and got really close, placing his hands on her arms. "I'm so gonna get you for that one later", he whispered in her ear and with a small smirk he walked out the door.

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Rika took a quick shower and got changed before heading to the cemetery where the brothers were going to be. Just as she approached the spot, she heard a gunshot. Instantly filled with worry for Sam and Dean, she hurried. The vision that met her was Sam lying on the ground, Dean standing in front of him with the rabbit's foot and a woman with light brown hair pointing a gun towards them. The woman had her back turned towards Rika and hadn't noticed her arrival. Rika figured this was the mysterious British woman, Bela Talbot, who had paid goons to steal the rabbit's foot from John Winchester's storage.

"Son of a-", Dean said and took a step towards Bela.

"Back off, tiger. Back off. You make one more move and I'll pull the trigger", she retorted with a serious voice.

Sam got up with a groan, clutching his shoulder. He was okay, his shoulder was the only thing hit. It wasn't too serious, Rika knew, and a weight lifted from her heart.

"You've got the luck, Dean. You I can't hit. But your brother? Him I can't miss", Bela continued.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! You don't just go around shooting people like that!", Dean shouted.

"Relax. It's a shoulder hit, I can aim. Besides, who here hasn't shot a few people. Put the rabbit's foot on the ground now."

Rika had already gotten her gun out. The brothers noticed her approach Bela from behind, and she just put her finger to her lips, signaling that they should be quiet. She pointed the gun at Bela's head and took the safety off, giving off a little click. "Not so fast", Rika commented.

Bela looked over her shoulder to get a glimpse of the person aiming a gun at her head. "Who the hell are you?"

"Someone you don't want to mess with."

"That's her boyfriend you just shot", Dean smirked at Bela. "I'd be careful if I were you."

Rika looked at Dean, she came up with a plan to get them out of the situation unharmed. "Dean, if she wants the rabbit's foot, give it to her."

"What?!", Dean commented. She shot him another look, and then he realized what she meant. He put his hands up in a sign of surrender.

"All right. Take it easy." Dean went on to put the rabbit's foot on the ground, but instead he threw it right at Bela. "Think fast!"

Bela grabbed the rabbit's foot in mid-air, and instantly she got a defeated look on her face as she realized what she had done. "Damn!"

"Now, what do you say we destroy that ugly-ass piece of dead thing?", Rika suggested and lowered her gun.

Bela walked up and dropped the rabbit's foot in the embers. "Thanks very much. I'm out one and a half million, and on the bad side of a very powerful, fairly psychotic buyer."

"Wow. I really don't feel bad about that. Sam?", Dean said.

Sam, who was now standing at Dean's side, replied with a shake of his head and a deadpan expression. "Nope. Not even a little."

"Hmm. Maybe next time I'll hang you out to dry", Bela said. She walked a bit and went to lean against a headstone where Dean's jacket was hanging.

"Oh, don't go away angry, just go away", Dean said with his patented grin.

"Have a nice night, boys. And girl", she said with a nod towards Rika and a smirk. She walked away and the remaining trio watched as the rabbit's foot burned in the fire.

"You okay?", Rika asked Sam as she walked up to him and gave him a hug.

"I'll live", he smiled and all three of them started walking towards the car.

"I guess we're back to normal now, huh? No good luck, no bad luck. Oh! I forgot we're up $46000, I almost forgot about the... scratch tickets", Dean said and interrupted himself as he searched his pockets. He found nothing. They heard Bela's car roar in the distance as all three of them looked at each other and then watched as the British woman drove away.

Dean cursed. "SON OF A BITCH!"

Rika started laughing because he just looked so funny, and Sam soon tuned in. Both of them where standing bent over laughing at Dean so their tears almost started running and they couldn't stop. Dean just yelled and "Aaaaaarghhhhhhhh", and kicked a headstone. While doing so he hurt his foot and was soon jumping up and down on one leg holding his foot, which only made Rika and Sam laugh even more.

"Oh come on Dean, it's a little funny!", Rika commented.

"No it's not!", he shouted and walked towards the Impala with angry steps and a pout on his face. Rika shot Sam a glance and they burst into even more laughter.

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**A/N: **Reviews would be awesome! I'd like to know what those of you reading this story think of it! And a little teaser for the next chapter - Ruby will be in it. ;)


	12. Vox

**A/N: **A bit of a longer chapter coming up here, and with Ruby as promised. ;) I thought about whether I should bring her into the story or not, and I decided on yes. It needs a bit of flavor.

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**Chapter 11 - Vox**

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_In the desert of my dreams I saw you there  
And I'm walking towards the water steaming body cold and bare  
But your words cut loose the fire and you left my soul to bleed  
And the pain that's in your truth's deceiving me, has got me scared_

Oh why?

Through your eyes the strains of battle like a brooding storm  
You're up and down these pristine velvet walls like focus never forms  
My walls are getting wider and my eyes are drawn astray  
I see you now a vague deception of a dying day

Oh why?

I fall into the water and once more I turn to you  
And the crowds were standing staring faceless cutting off my view to you  
They start to limply flail their bodies in a twisted mime  
And I'm lost inside this tangled web in which I'm lain entwined  
You're gone and I'm lost inside this tangled web in which I'm lain entwined

Oh why?  
Sarah McLachlan - Vox

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Indeed it was a beautiful morning, Rika noticed as she glanced out the curtains of the rundown motel room she was staying in with the Winchesters. The sun was shining, and the sky was blue with the exception of a couple of white, fluffy clouds.

"Ready?", she heard Dean whisper behind her.

She turned around and saw him standing a couple of feet behind her with a huge smirk on his face. She smiled back at him and whispered a response. "Definitely."

Dean handed her one of the glasses filled with water he was holding, and kept the other one for himself. It was 7AM and Sam was still sleeping comfortably in the bed he shared with Rika, happily unaware of the fact that the other two were plotting against him. Dean and Rika both looked over their shoulders to get a glance of Sam's form in the bed, with the covers pulled tightly against his chest. He was wearing an old t-shirt and a pair of sweats underneath the covers. He looked so peaceful that Rika felt bad for what she and Dean were about to do. She and Dean glanced at each other again, and Rika suddenly felt mischievous.

As they carefully made their way towards the bed, Rika whispered to Dean. "He's going to be so pissed."

"I know", Dean grinned. "That's the funny part. You'll see."

Rika walked over to the other side of the bed while Dean remained on the other with his back against the wall. He looked at Rika as they got ready while he formed the words "One, two, three" with his lips. Once he hit three, Dean first poured a couple of drops of water on Sam's nose. Sam just crinkled his nose a bit when the drops hit him without waking up, and then Rika and Dean simultaneously emptied both glasses off water on his face.

Then things happened fast. Sam shot up in bed waving his hands in his face trying to wipe away the water while shouting a "What the hell?!".

He immediately went for Dean with his hands, trying to give his brother a beating, but Dean just chuckled and ran out the door. "It was her idea!", he yelled before slamming the door shut. Rika now realized why Dean had picked that side of the bed, he had intended for Rika to take the fall all along.

Rika let out an exasperated and hurt gasp, something like the one a little child might let out when getting the blame for something he didn't do. "No, it was not!", she yelled towards the door and took a step towards that direction, getting ready to kick Dean's ass, but it was too late. She felt Sam's strong hands grab her and pull her onto the bed. She tried struggling out of his grip, but it was a struggle that was already lost. It wasn't long until she found herself pinned against the bed with her back down and Sam on top of her. He held her by her wrists, keeping them pinned against the mattress above her head, and Rika couldn't move, not even with her slayer strength.

"Payback's a bitch", he groaned and Rika felt a drop of water from his soaked hair hit her face.

"You're dripping on me", she commented and looked up into his eyes with an innocent smile.

He just gave her a mischievous smile back. "I know, and I don't care. Dean's paying for this later, but you... I don't plan on letting you leave this bed anytime soon."

Rika gave out a small scream as he reached his hands down and started tickling her all over. Rika giggled and squirmed while trying to get out of his grip, but it was useless. He was straddling her stomach and his hands seemed to be everywhere at once, torturing her with his tickles. "No, wait, stop!", she yelled exasperatedly between the giggles. "Show... some... mercy!"

"No way", he whispered as he stopped tickling her and grabbed her wrists again. Rika was panting heavily after the struggle and took the opportunity to catch some breath. Instantly it became more difficult, as Sam instead bit down on her neck, starting to kiss every inch of exposed skin. Rika moaned and tilted her head backwards seeing stars as Sam started undressing her.

"Hey, when did you get a tattoo?", he exclaimed as he noticed the colorful butterfly that was now tattooed on her hip.

-------------------------------------

"So, I'm gonna go with Dean and get dinner", Sam said and kissed the top of Rika's hair as she was surfing the web on her Macbook. It was already evening, just after nightfall, and the day had been spent doing research, both on ways to save Dean and on potential cases. Rika had made about a dozen phone calls to her contacts around the world, and Sam had to admit he was impressed. He had heard her speak fluent French, German and Spanish, and she had also made a call with a British accent pretending to be a representative for the British Museum. She could have had any career she had wanted, with those language skills.

She spun the chair around and looked up at him. "Yeah, sure, I'll wait here."

"You gonna be alright?"

"Yes!", she smiled reassuringly. "Stop fussing. Go. See you in a moment."

They were interrupted by Dean clearing his throat at the door. "Come on! I'm starving!"

Sam and Rika looked over at Dean, who was looking impatient as usual. "Yeah, I'm coming", Sam chuckled and grabbed his jacket.

"And no MacDonald's, thank you!", he heard Rika joke behind them before they shut the door.

Dean turned towards Sam as they walked towards the Impala with their hands in their pockets. "So, you and Rika are doing good, huh?"

Both of them stopped a couple of meters away from the car and Sam looked at Dean with this dreamy look on his face. "Yeah. Really good. I think."

"Well, that's good. That it's good." Dean looked slightly awkward before shrugging. "Okay, enough chick-flick moments for one day. Let's get some food!"

Just as he said that the boys looked up as the lights on the parking lot started flickering. They took a glance towards the motel, where the lights inside the room they had just left were also flickering. Then they looked back at each other with confused looks until Sam's eyes widened in panic, worry, fear and sudden realization.

"Rika!", he exclaimed and started running back towards the motel, closely followed by Dean.

Inside, had no time to react before everything went dark. She didn't even have time to notice that the lights were flickering around her. When Sam entered the room, it was already to late. He yelled her name and ran through all the rooms. He checked the bathroom twice, but there was no sign of Rika. The lights had already stopped flickering, and the papers that had been on the table next to Rika's Macbook were now scattered around the floor along with her pens and pencils, like a sudden whiff of air had blown them down onto the floor.

"No, no, NO!", Sam yelled and ran his hands through his head in frustration.

Dean checked the windowsill in the back of the motel room, and found a substance. He pinched some of it between his fingers and smelled it, even though it wasn't necessary. He already knew what it was, sulfur. Rika had been taken, by a demon or a couple of demons.

Dean watched as his brother knelt down on the floor, breathing heavily with shock, trying to blink back some tears.

"Sammy, calm down. We'll find her."

"Don't tell me to calm down, Dean! I don't wanna calm down. She's been taken by demons. Who knows what they'll do to her! And we have no idea where to even begin looking. She might be dead already!"

"Don't say that. If they had wanted her dead they would've just killed her hear and not taken her."

"You don't know that! It's Rika, Dean. If anything happens to her..."

"I know. I know", Dean tried comforting his brother as he gave him a hug.

-------------------------------------

Rika was starting to come to. Her head was thumping for whatever reason. The air in the place she was in smelled damp and earthy, like a basement or a cave or something similar. Carefully she flickered her eyes open. It took a while before her eyes adjusted to the dark room she was in, but soon she could make out that she in fact was inside an old basement. She groaned a bit and tried to move, but she quickly realized that her hands were chained. Her arms were lifted above her head and fastened in iron cuffs with chains hanging from the ceiling keeping her in place.

"Oh, good, you're awake! I thought you'd sleep through all fun quality time."

Rika looked up and saw a young, blond woman walk towards her. She immediately recognized the woman, it was the woman she had dreamed about in her prophetic nightmare, the female demon holding the knife. She looked exactly like in Rika's dream. Rika even noticed the knife she was carrying strapped to her thigh.

"You! Who are you?", Rika asked.

The woman smirked before her eyes turned black. "I'm Ruby, nice to meet ya."

"You're a demon!", Rika commented and the woman smirked again.

"Well, aren't you the queen of stating the obvious."

"What do you want from me? If want to kill me, you might as well do it now before I'm bored to death."

"Relax. If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't be standing here."

"What do you want then? A little girl talk? And what's with the chains if you don't want to hurt me?", Rika asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"The chains are a precaution. I don't want you to start throwing punches at me, do I? And yeah, something like that. I'm interested in that boyfriend of yours."

"Why?"

"Because he's tall. And I love a tall man. And then there's the whole Antichrist thing."

"What?!"

"Generation of psychic kids, yellow-eyed demon rounds 'em up, celebrity death match ensues. He's the sole survivor."

"How the hell do you know about that?"

"I hear things. Yellow-eyes had some pretty big plans for him."

"_Had_ being the key word there. Yellow-eyes is dead in case you haven't noticed."

"Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's right. Ding-dong, the demon's dead. Good job with that. It doesn't change the fact that he's special... in that Anthony Michael Hall E.S.P. visions kind of way."

"He hadn't had any visions, not since yellow-eyes died. Hell, I'm more psychic at the moment than he is."

"Well, I'm thinking he's still a pretty big deal. I mean, after all that business with his mom."

"Yeah, I heard about that. So woohoo, you've done your little demonic research. Big deal. Now, let's cut down to the chase, shall we? Give me _one_ good reason why I shouldn't send your ass back to hell right now, because you know, I could, faster than you can blink."

"I'm here to help you."

"Is this some kind of joke?"

"God's honest truth... or whatever."

"You're a bloody demon!"

"Don't be such a racist. I'm here because I want to help you. And I can if you trust me."

"Why should I trust you?"

"I don't know why the demon was trying to cover something up, or what happened with Sam's mother. I honestly don't know. That's what I'm trying to find out. All I know is that it's about him."

"What do you mean?" Rika was utterly confused. She didn't trust this demon, and the fact that she seemed to have taken special interest in Sam worried Rika.

"Don't you get it? And you're supposed to be smart! It's all about him. What happened to his mom, what happened to her friends. They're trying to cover up what yellow-eyes did to Sam. And I want to help you guys figure it out."

"But why on earth would you want to help us?"

"I have my reasons. Not all demons are the same, Rika. Not all of us want the same thing. Me? I want to help you from time to time. That's all. And if you let me, there's something in it for you, and little Sammy."

"What could you possibly--"

"I could help you save Dean."

Rika thought about it for a moment. "I still don't trust you. And why did you take me? Why not Sam, or Dean for that matter?"

The demon sighed. "I thought you'd be more... open-minded. The Winchester brothers aren't actually all sunshine and daisies in case you haven't noticed. They're a bit fanatic when it comes to demons. They would never have listened to me. That's why I need you to convince them. And on the trust issue, I'm going to let you go now. You're completely unharmed. Maybe that'll help you trust me."

Ruby walked up to Rika and locked up the cuffs. "You're not far from the motel. You should hurry before Sam paces enough to make a hole in the floor."

Rika took a suspicious glance towards Ruby in front of her. She still didn't trust the demon, but if there was a way she could help Dean from going to hell, Rika wasn't going to throw it away just like that before talking it over with the Winchesters. She was fully in slayer mode as she backed towards the staircase. Before walking up the stairs, she stopped.

"If I do this and trust you for the time being, you stay the hell away from Sam and Dean. I swear to God, if you as much as look at them funny, I will personally hunt you down and throw your ugly demon ass back into hell. Is that clear?"

"Clear as a crystal", Ruby retorted sarcastically. "Oh, and don't bother coming back here looking for me. I'll be long gone. I'll be in touch."

Rika ran as fast as she could back to the motel. She knew Sam would be worried sick right about now, and probably tearing down the walls in panic. Her wrists were slightly sore from the handcuffs, but other than that, she was completely unharmed, just as Ruby had said.

When Rika reached the motel room door and knocked on it her heart was beating so fast. It wasn't long until the door slightly creaked open and she saw Dean standing there with his gun.

"Rika! Thank God!", he exclaimed and opened the door fully. Rika was immediately jumped by Sam, who pulled her into his arms.

He cried a bit as he hugged her and then went on to check for wounds. "I'm fine Sam, I'm fine. It's okay."

"Thank God!", he said. "What happened?"

-------------------------------------

"Because demon, that's why, I mean the second you find out this Ruby chick is a demon you go for the Holy water, you don't chat!", Dean yelled at Rika. They were arguing about her meeting with Ruby, after Rika had already been tested with holy water in case she was possessed.

"Calm down Dean! Nobody was exactly chatting", Rika retorted.

"Cut her some slack Dean, hear what she's got to say", Sam said calmly and put his arm around Rika's shoulders as he was sitting next to her on the bedside while Dean was angrily pacing around the room.

"Oh yeah? Then why didn't you send her ass back to hell?", Dean asked furiously.

"Because- Because she said she might be able to help us out."

"How the hell could she possibly do that?", Dean questioned.

Rika paused, not knowing whether she should tell them or not, but Dean continued before she had the time to think. "No really, Rika, how? How could she possibly help us?"

"She told me she could help you, OK? Help you out of the crossroad deal", Rika confessed and Sam immediately turned towards her with his eyes widened.

"What is wrong with you, huh? She lying, you gotta know that, don't you? She knows what your weakness is, it's Sam, and his weakness is me. She's trying to get under our skin, so obviously she'll play that card!"

"Dean, if this demon could help you--", Sam begun but was quickly interrupted by Rika.

"Look, I don't trust her anymore than you do. But like Sam said, if there's a possibility-- Maybe we should just wait it out and see if she can help us as she said."

"So you two are gaining up on me now, is that it? What else did she say?"

Rika was silent. "Hey?", Dean tried again and stared at her.

"I'm not an idiot. Dean, I'm not talking about trusting her, I'm talking about using her. I mean we're at war, right? And we know jack's squat about the enemy; we don't know where they are, we don't know what they're doing. I mean, hell, we don't know what they want. Now this Ruby knows more than we will ever find out on our own. Now yes, it's a risk, I know that, but we need to take it", she said with her calmest voice.

Dean sat down, looking pissed while Sam studied Rika. "Dean, I have to agree with Rika. At the moment, it's the best idea we have."

"That's bull!", Dean yelled and got up from the chair. He grabbed his jacket and rushed out of the room. "I'm going for a drink", he muttered before he slammed the door shut.

Rika sighed but Sam just hugged her. "It's okay Rika, I'm just happy to have you back unharmed. And I do agree with you."

"The only thing that scares me is how much she knew about everything. Maybe she can help Dean, maybe she can't. But if she can't and she's lying, what the hell does she want? There must be a reason why she was in my prophetic dream... Either it's a bad omen or a good one."

"We'll figure it out", Sam replied and kissed her.

-------------------------------------

**A/N: **Hope you enjoyed, and reviews are very much appreciated. Sin City next! :D


	13. The River: Sin City I

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**Chapter 12 - The River (Sin City Part I)**

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_As I walk through the valley  
Of the shadow of LA  
The footsteps that were next to me  
Have gone their separate ways  
I've seen enough now  
To know that beautiful things  
Don't always stay that way  
I've done enough now  
To know this beautiful place  
Isn't everything they say_

I heard that evil comes disguised  
Like the city of angels  
I'm walking towards the light

Baptized in the river  
I've seen a vision of my life  
And I wanna be delivered  
In the city with the sinner  
I've done a lot of things wrong  
But I swear I'm a believer  
Like the prodigal son  
I was out on my own  
Now I'm trying to find my way back home  
Baptized in the river  
I'm delivered  
I'm delivered

I confess I'm a sinner  
I've seen a vision of my life  
And I wanna be delivered   
Good Charlotte - The River

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"Hey, what's up?", Dean asked and looked up from the metal he was melting into bullets. He was looking at Bobby at the moment, who was working at the Colt, picking it apart into pieces. They had spent a couple of days at Bobby's place, looking for clues and trying to find new cases, with no luck so far.

Dean didn't get an answer before Rika entered the room, and the trio looked up at her. She ran her hand through her long, wavy hair, and looked slightly dazed with sleep. She had been in the other room, trying to take a nap on the couch.

"Hey", Sam said softly and scanned her face as she sat down on the chair next to his. "Get any sleep?"

"Not much", she confessed and gave him a tired smile. He was slightly worried about her, she hadn't gotten much sleep since her meeting with Ruby. He had noticed her tossing and turning in the middle of the night, and sometimes he would just stay up and watch her until she calmed down in the early morning hours. He knew she was analyzing the meeting more than she would tell him. "Please tell me you've found something already, I'm tired of just sitting around."

"Couldn't agree more", Dean added to the conversation.

Rika was quick to change the subject, Sam noticed, but he didn't want to pry. Instead he just bent over to place a soft kiss on her cheek before he continued. "Might have found some omens in Ohio. Dry lightning, barometric-pressure drop."

"Well, that's thrilling", Dean deadpanned.

Sam looked down on his laptop and the website he was looking at, the one of some local newspaper. "Plus, some guy blows his head off in a church and another goes postal in a hobby shop before the cops take him out."

"Sounds like it might be demonic omens", Rika added and got a nod from Sam.

Dean was sarcastic as usual. "Or just a suicide and a psycho scrapbooker."

"But it's our best lead since Lincoln", Sam tried.

"Where in Ohio?", Dean asked and both Sam and Rika could tell he was starting to cave in.

"Elizabethville. It's a half-dead factory town in the rust belt", Sam explained.

"There's got to be a demon or two in South Beach", Dean sighed.

"Sorry, Hef. Maybe next time", Sam chuckled.

"Hey Bobby, how's it going?", Rika asked curiously as she turned her gaze towards the older man working on the Colt.

"Slow", he deadpanned, not for a second taking his eyes off the gun.

"I tell you, it's a little sad seeing the Colt like that", Dean said.

"The only thing it's good for now is figuring out what makes it tick", Bobby said, still not looking up.

"So what makes it tick?", Sam tried carefully.

The older hunter looked up and let his eyes dart between the young trio. He wasn't exactly looking amused.

"So, if we want to go check out these omens in Ohio--", Dean begun, grinned and got a more teasing tone before continuing. "You think you can have that thing ready by this afternoon?"

"Well, it won't kill demons by then, but I can promise you it'll kill you."

Dean looked slightly intimidated and Rika almost started laughing, but she managed to keep it in. Dean smiled and was quick to change the subject, him too. "All right, come on, we're wasting the daylight. See you, Bobby."

Bobby looked up again. "Hey. You guys run into anything, _anything_, you call me.

Rika got up from her chair with a sigh and grabbed her stuff. The boys did the same and soon the trio was out the door.

-------------------------------------

Rika looked up at the ceiling as they entered the church the man had killed himself in. It was beautifully decorated, she noticed, something she loved about catholic churches. Protestantic churches were beautiful too, but much simpler. She tore her gaze away from the decorations and instead concentrated on the Winchester boys next to her, both of them looking slick in their suits. She herself was wearing the same, black, high-waisted pencil skirt she had worn before, with a white silk blouse. She hated doing recon, and pretending to be someone she wasn't, but it was the way Sam and Dean worked, and she was adapting. She was more of the staying hidden and doing research type. The Winchesters walked straight into morgues pretending to be feds or coroners or something like that while she herself just thought it was easier breaking in after hours.

"There's not much left for the insurance company. It was a suicide - I saw it myself", Father Gil said and looked over at the Rika and the Winchesters. This time they were the insurance company.

"Well, this shouldn't take long, then", Dean said and gave the father a big smile.

The priest pointed up at the platform above them. "That's where Andy did it. It's the first time I'd seen him in weeks. He used to come every Sunday", the father explained with sad expression on his face.

"When did he stop?", Sam asked with his most gentle tone, trying not to upset the older man.

"Probably about two months ago right around the time everything else started to change." The trio looked at each other after the father's comment. Two months ago was when the devil's gate opened.

"Change how?", Rika asked.

"Let's just say this used to be a town you could be proud of. People... cared about each other. Andy sang in the choir, and then one day, he just wasn't Andy anymore. It was like he was..."

"Possessed?", Sam tried.

"You could say that. Gambled away his money, cheated on his wife, destroyed his business. Yes, like a switch had flipped", the father said and shook his head.

Rika was almost sure now it had to be something to do with demons. Yet, it was strange that she couldn't sense a presence in town, which she usually could thanks to her slayer-supernatural-sixth-sense-thingy. "Father, did you know the man who killed those folks in the hobby shop?", Rika asked.

The father nodded. "Sure, Tony Perkins."

"Tony Perkins. Good man. Would you say that his personality suddenly changed one day, too?", Sam continued.

"I never thought about it that way, but...yes. About the same time as Andy, about two months ago." The older man looked lost in thoughts. Rika gave Sam and Dean a look that said it was time for them to leave.

"Well, thank you, Father. Appreciate your time", Dean finished as they left and the father just nodded in response.

Once they got out of the church, Sam spoke. "Two months ago, we open up the devil's gate, all of a sudden this town turns into Margaritaville? It's no coincidence."

"I'd have to agree on that one", Rika replied and walked ahead of them to the Impala.

-------------------------------------

As the trio entered their motel room, Dean immediately started chuckling at all the mirrors on the walls. They had no time to close the door before the door across the hall from them opened. Rika watched a short, slightly bulgy man with a green suit jacket and an old-fashioned hat exit the room.

"Richie. I don't believe it", Dean said, turned towards the man.

"Hey, Dean... Winchester, right?", the man named Richie replied with a thick New Yorkish accent as a tall, scantily dressed woman exited the room after him. Richie coughed, looking slightly embarrassed. "This is my sister, uh, Cheryl."

"Hi", the woman said with a glance at the other three standing in the doorway of their own room.

"Cheryl", Dean said, putting on his sexiest smug for the woman, who obviously was a hooker.

Rika's suspicions were confirmed as Richie handed the woman some cash. She couldn't help but make a disgusted face. She looked up at Sam and saw he had noticed her cringe. He just gave her a small awkward smile.

"There", Richie said and when Cheryl was leaving he turned towards Rika and the Winchesters. "Well, you know... stepsister", he said with an apologetic expression on his face.

"Come on in", Dean said and Rika wasn't sure she liked the fact that Dean was inviting this appauling man into their room. "This is my brother, Sam, and this is Rika."

"Hey. How you doing?", Richie greeted and let his eyes wander up and down Rika's body, admiring her curves and looks.

Rika gave him a death stare, but it didn't make him back off. He was probably used to women looking at him like that. He tore his eyes away only when Sam cleared his throat slightly and put his arm around Rika's waist. He wasn't the jealous type with Rika because he knew she wouldn't look twice at another man, but yet, he didn't like strangers eyeing his girlfriend. He didn't like the thought of Richie wacking off in some sleazy motel bathroom while thinking of Rika, because Richie sure as hell seemed the type who would be doing something like that.

"Not too bad", Sam said interrupting Richie's checking out of Rika. Instead Richie turned his gaze towards Sam, who was about twice his length. "How do you two know each other?"

"You were in school", Dean said.

"It was that succubus, in Granasi right?", Richie asked Dean.

"Yeah, yeah", Dean nodded.

"Oh, man. You should have seen the rack on this broad", Richie said to Sam. "Freakin' tragedy when I had to gank her."

Dean looked like his feelings had been hurt. "Whoa, whoa. Wait. Who killed her? If I remember, your ass was toast until I showed up."

"Oh, I forgot what a comedian this guy was", Richie commented and Rika couldn't help but to laugh a little. Despite his disgusting manners, Richie seemed like a funny guy.

"Richie, Richie, I told you then and I'll tell you again - you're not cut out for this job. You're gonna get yourself killed", Dean said and shook his head in disbelief after giving Rika a small glare.

They were interrupted by Richie's cellphone. "Talk to me", Richie said to the caller before turning his mouth away and instead he addressed Dean. "FYI, Winchester, words hurt."

He then continued talking to the caller, accompanied by Dean's chuckles. "No, it's not a good time, baby. Later."

"You find anything in this town, anyway?", Dean asked Richie as he had finished his call.

"Uh, no. I got nothing. Oh, wait a minute. You mean as in demons and whatnot?"

"Yeah", Dean replied.

"No, I got nothing."

"Typical. What about your sister back there?", Dean said with a nod towards the motel room door.

"Honestly, she definitely had the devil in her, but she wasn't no demon, you know what I'm saying?", he said and looked at Rika again, eyeing her before quickly turning to Dean again after Rika cleared her throat a couple of times, trying to get him to back off. "Right. Seriously. Church guy, hobby-shop guy -- they were lunch meat by the time I got there. Maybe they were possessed, but I can't prove it."

"Yeah, that's where we are, too. Let's just say the demons are possessing people in this town, you know, raising hell?", Sam added.

"But why would a demon blow his brains out?", Dean asked with his brow furrowed.

"For fun? He wrecks one body, moves to another. Like taking a stolen car for a joyride", Richie suggested, and Rika actually thought he might be making sense.

"Anybody else left in town that fits the profile -- nice guy turned douche -- that's still breathing?", Rika asked. Richie jumped slightly at the sound of her voice, she had yet not spoken in his presence, and he wasn't quite sure what to think of her. He was attracted to her, most definitely, but he had no idea what kind of girl she was. Besides, she seemed to be involved with Dean's brother and would probably not touch him with a stick, so Richie tried his best to keep his eyes off of her. Sam could probably kick his ass any day, he was willing to admit that.

"There's Trotter."

"Who's that?", Sam asked curiously.

"He used to be head of the Rotary Club. Then he turned bastard all of a sudden. Brought in the gambling, the hookers. He practically owns this whole town", Richie explained.

"Know where we could find him?", Rika asked.

"Oh, he'll be at his bar in a few hours", Richie said and turned his eyes away from Rika with a slight gulp.

---

A little later, the trio pulled up the Impala outside Trotter's bar. Rika looked out the window, noticing it looked slightly like Mardi Gras. The town was buzzing, and there were girls everywhere, dressed in skimpy clothes and sexy cocktail dresses. People were walking around with drinks in their hands, and Rika took a glance at Dean who was looking like a little kid in a candy store.

"I thought you said this was some boarded-up factory town", Dean commented with a look at Sam.

"It is. At least, it's supposed to be", Sam said and furrowed his brow.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's do some research", Dean said with a grin, sounding more exited than he should. He was quick to get out of the car and Rika and Sam gave each other a look. Both of them sighed before following Dean inside.

Inside, they quickly met up with Richie. He was wearing satin clothes, probably trying to look slick.

"Oh, Richie. Look at you", Dean commented.

"Hey."

"Bringing satin back", Dean grinned.

"Oh, you like this?", Richie said and pinched his shirt. "Try Thai silk -- Canal Street. You have to pay $300 for threads like these, easy. Cost to me -- fuggedaboutit."

"How much is ´fuggedaboutit`?", Sam asked with an amused smile.

"Ah, forget about it. That's Trotter over there", Richie said and pointed towards and older, fat man with thinning hair. "He sits there all night. Can't touch him."

"So, what do we do now?", Rika asked.

Dean was eyeing the beautiful, young female bartender with silky, black hair. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna do a little investigating with that bartender", he said with an appreciative smile as he checked out her ass when she walked by.

"Easy. Me and her, we got a little somethin'-somethin' lined up for later", Richie said with a nod and a grin.

"Yeah, right", Dean said, stating what both Sam and Rika where thinking. There was no way a guy like Richie would be getting a girl like the bartender.

"Stings, don't it? All right. I got to hit the head. Release the hostages. Be back in a few", Richie said with a wave and walked away.

"No way he gets a girl like that. I mean, look at her. You could fit that ass on a nickel", Dean commented earning a disgusted look from Rika.

"You think so?", a voice called behind them and the trio turned around. They hadn't noticed Father Gil walking up to them.

"Oh, sorry padre", Dean said and looked slightly embarrassed.

"Knew you youngsters would find your way here. They all do", the father said, ignoring Dean.

"No offense, but what are you doing here, Father?", Sam asked with a confused look.

"Like it or not, you go where your flock is", he replied as the bartender poured him a drink.

"Plus, the clergy drinks for free", she smiled.

"True, and a certain bartender owes me a confession", Father Gil said with a soft smile towards the bartender. Rika looked at her name tag, Casey.

"Not in this lifetime, Father", Casey teased.

"I better see your butt on Sunday", he said and pointed his finger at Casey. Then he looked over at Dean. "Nickel or no nickel."

"What can I get you three?", Casey said with a smile towards Rika and the Winchesters.

"What's your speciality?", Dean flirted and Rika was trying hard not to roll her eyes. She loved Dean, but the way he was always flirting with every woman who came around...

"I make a mean hurricane." Casey was flirting back.

"I guess we'll see about that", Dean smirked.

As Casey walked away, Sam turned to Dean with an amused smile. "You drink hurricanes?"

"I do now", Dean grinned.

Rika laughed slightly and then she looked over her shoulder at the pool table nearby. She watched as two men greeted each other.

"Hi, John."

"Reggie. Everything okay with you?"

It sounded normal enough, but Rika could sense something was off. She decided to keep an eye on the men. Sam and Dean had noticed her looking at them and Sam whispered in her ear. "What is it?"

She just waved at him and hushed him, trying to concentrate.

"I don't know. I'm just not feeling myself today", the man named Reggie continued. At the same moment, both Rika and Sam noticed Reggie was carrying a gun.

Sam nodded towards Dean. "Hey." Dean immediately spotted the gun too and the trio got up from their chairs. Sam dug out a bottle of holy water from his pocket. The man named John watched in horror as his friend pointed the gun at him.

"Hey, what are you doing?!"

Dean tackled Reggie to the ground, but it was too late, he shot the other man, John. Sam splashed some holy water on Reggie, but there was no reaction. Sam and Rika exchanged confused looks as Reggie started yelling at Dean, who was holding his arms behind his back.

"What are you doing? He slept with my wife. That bastard slept with my wife!"

"Somebody call 911!", Sam shouted and noticed Rika had dug out her cellphone.

"Already on it", she commented with a reassuring nod towards him before turning her back at the scene and put one finger to her ear in order to block out the noise around her.

Sam looked over at Trotter's table, straight into his eyes. Trotter didn't even blink, and Sam had to turn his eyes away.

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**A/N: **New chapter, reviews are sex.


	14. Fight 'Til Dying: Sin City II

**A/N: **Long chapter coming up, thanks for reading on. ;) There will be one more chapter on Sin City before I move along to Bedtime Stories, and I felt like making it really sinful. :P

Reviews are better than lazy summer days, so don't be afraid to use your keyboard to leave me some feedback.

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**Chapter 13 - Fight 'Til Dying (Sin City Part II)**

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_I see the look in your eyes  
I know it's time to rise  
Hey babe I know you  
I know we will be fine_

I feel the beat in your heart  
It makes me strong tonight  
Hey babe, you know me  
You know it is our night tonight

We can reach little higher  
We can tear down the sky  
If something comes on the way we face it as one  
Through the tears and the clouds  
Through the times when they doubt  
If something comes on the way we fight 'til dying

I've seen the faces of the ones  
Who walk away from light  
Hey babe I know you  
I know they ain't our kind

We leave the fear behind  
And trust the way we feel inside  
Hey babe, we both know  
We know it is our night tonight  
Sunrise Avenue - Fight 'Til Dying

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Rika looked after Reggie as the cops cuffed him and lead him away from the scene. This case was getting weirder by the minute, and she wasn't sure if it was something she normally would have handled. Rika had to admit, she was partial to the corporeal big bad, something she could see and hit. She looked over at Sam and noticed he was looking slightly fidget-y.

"Too many cops here. I say we roll", he said quietly with a slight shook of his head.

"Calm down, will you", Rika tried and Dean was quick to agree with her.

"Rika's right, just be cool. Poor jerk. Only thing possessing him was a sixer of Pabst."

"So, what's the deal, then? People in this town getting possessed or not?", Sam asked with a confused town to his voice.

"God, I miss vampires", Rika mumbled not wanting Sam and Dean to hear her, but as usual, Sam caught her comment and gave her a slight look.

Dean apparently hadn't heard her, since he continued. "I don't know. Maybe it is just what it is -- town full of scumbags."

"Yeah. Maybe", Sam said and looked lost in thoughts.

"Somehow, I highly doubt it", Rika added, but before the Winchesters had time to ask her what she had meant, they were approached by a police officer.

"You boys ready for your mug shots?".

Sam and Dean looked nervous. What the hell was their deal with cops anyways? Rika knew that they were fugitives, but what was the chance of some random backland cop recognizing them? Maybe if they kept behaving all shady and fidget-y around cops, they would get noticed.

The looked relieved when the policeman smiled and continued. "The photographer's gonna be here in a few and take your picture for the local paper."

Dean gave him his best smile. "Be an honor, officer. What a thrill."

As soon as the policeman left them, Sam spoke with a low tone. "Yep, time to go."

Rika was already getting ready to leave with Sam, but Dean waved at them to stop. "Wait a second. Wait a second."

"What?", Rika asked.

"Where's Richie?", Dean retorted as he looked around the bar.

-------------------------------------

The next day, there was still no sign of Richie. Rika and Sam just figured he had skipped town, but Dean kept saying he thought something was up, or that something had happened to Richie. At the moment they were back at the bar, and Rika was looking at Dean sitting across from her, with a huge burger in front of him. She had still not gotten used to his eating habits and his obsession with food, and she had to admit it disgusted her slightly at times. This time it was bit strange, Dean hadn't even touched the burger. Usually he just dug right in, but Rika didn't want to pry. It was none of her business, but somehow she figured it had to do with Richie's sudden disappearance.

She looked up as Sam walked up to the table and sat down next her. He placed a beer in front of Dean and kept the other one himself. He had offered to get one for Rika too, but she had just shook her head and said thanks but no thanks. She didn't really enjoy alcohol unless it was cider or something like that. Beer she definitely resented, she still found that the way the beverage looked was slightly similar to urine, not to mention the yucky taste. And in general - high percentages of alcohol and her: not a good combination.

"You do realize there's red meat within striking distance, right?", Sam asked Dean with a slight amused smile.

"How many times I got to tell Richie, he's gonna get himself in trouble?", Dean said with a worried look on his face.

"Dean, you're assuming he's missing. I mean, maybe he just bailed."

Dean shook his head. "No. He's a moron. He's a sweet moron, but he's not a coward. He wouldn't just bail. I got to go find him."

Sam caved in, deciding it was best to let Dean follow up on his hunch. "All right. Meanwhile I think I'm gonna trail this Trotter guy."

"I'll go with you", Rika added softly, her comment earning a kiss on the cheek from Sam.

"Yeah?", Dean questioned. "Why?"

"I don't know", Sam said with his most concentrated expression. "Something about the way he looked at me last night. Maybe there is something going on here."

---

While the trio was having their discussion in the bar in Elizabethville, Bobby was having an encounter of his own, miles away. He had now managed to restore the Colt and was out in the woods shooting at a target, making adjustments every time he fired. He looked down at the gun, made some adjustments and looked back up, getting ready to fire at the target once more. Instead of having the target in his eyesight, a young, beautiful blonde haired woman had suddenly appeared in front of the target. Bobby immediately pointed his gun at her, suspicious as he was.

"Cute piece", the woman said with a smirk.

"Who are you?"

The woman wouldn't reply, instead she smirked once more. "It won't stop a demon, if that's what you think."

"How the hell would you know?"

"Oh, I don't know", she said and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were completely black. Bobby took a step back as she continued. "Call it an educated guess."

Bobby decided to play her little game and smirked back. "Well, ain't i lucky, then? Found a subject for a test fire."

"Luck has nothing to do with it. But, hey, by all means. Take your best shot."

Bobby hesitated. He knew it would kill the human the demon was possessing, even if it didn't kill the demon inside of her.

"Are you gonna stand there like a pantywaist, or are you gonna shoot?", the demon asked and almost had no time to finish before Bobby shot her in the chest.

She didn't even flinch, instead she just looked down at the hole in her chest. "Oww, that smarts a little."

"What do you want?"

"Peace on earth, a new shirt. Now... do you want me to help you out with that gun or not?", the demon continued and walked towards Bobby. Maybe this was that Ruby demon that had kidnapped Rika and fed her some story about wanting to help? Bobby wasn't that gullible, but he wanted the Colt working again. It was their best weapon against demons aside from Rika's scythe.

-------------------------------------

Sam and Rika were standing in the corridor outside Trotter's office, getting ready to break an entering and look through his stuff, trying to determine whether he was a demon or not.

"You sure you want to do this?", Rika asked him with a whisper.

He had no time to reply as his cellphone rang, startling them both with the sudden sound in the silence. Sam picked up. "Dean."

Rika could hear Dean on the other end, thanks to her slayer hearing. It sure came in handy when eavesdropping. "_Sammy."_

"Yeah. Hey. I can't talk right now."

"_You two okay?"_

"Yeah, we're fine. Just meet us at the bar later, okay?" Sam was quick to hang up and Rika gave him a small look with a raised eyebrow.

He looked at her with an amused smile. "What?", he whispered.

"Nothing. Ready to go all double-oh-seven on Trotter's ass?", Rika whispered back with a smile.

"Yup, let's go", he replied with a more serious expression and put his hand on the small of her back, leading her into the office with careful steps, trying to see if the coast was clear before entering.

Both of them immediately went for Trotter's desk, anxious to get out of there as soon as possible. Neither of them wanted to be walked in on, especially if Trotter was a demon. The top drawer was locked, but Rika easily broke the lock by pulling at the drawer, earning an impressed look from Sam. There was nothing suspicious in the drawer, just some paperwork, nothing even slightly supernatural. Suddenly, Rika flinched as she heard a sound, but it was too late. She turned towards the door and saw Trotter and his bodyguard enter. Sam immediately jumped the bodyguard and tackled him, but he instantly stopped as he heard the click from Trotter's gun as he took the safety off - a gun that he was now pointing straight at Rika.

Sam gave her an exasperated look filled with worry for her safety, but she just gave him a look that told him not to worry about her.

"What are you doing here?", Trotter asked.

"I think maybe you know", Sam replied with his calmest voice as he tried to ignore the gun that was pointed at his girlfriend.

"Yeah. Well, I think I'm calling the cops", Trotter said.

Rika and Sam gave each other a confused look. What kind of a demon would call the cops when he found a hunter and a slayer in his office. "Cops?", Sam asked carefully.

Trotter smirked. "Breaking and entering, assault -- you're in a peck of trouble, my friends."

"Uh, well, I think I could probably explain it!", Sam commented and Rika saw her chance. She jumped Trotter before he even knew it and wrestled the gun from his hands. She pointed it towards both the men, and Sam quickly moved up to stand next to her.

"All right, back up!", Rika said with her most intimidating tone and shook the gun slightly. This was exactly why she hated the Winchesters' love for guns, they were never any good.

"Get back. Money's in the safe! Take it and go", Trotter said, apparently trying to get Sam and Rika to back off.

"We don't want your money", Sam said and took out a bottle of holy water. "I just got to be sure."

Sam splashed both Trotter and the bodyguard with the water, but nothing happened. "What kind of psycho are you?", Trotter asked as he spat some of the water out of his mouth, with a confused look on his face.

"Oh, God", Sam said now embarrassed. He started backing towards the door and signaled Rika to do the same. He put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Uh, I'm sorry. I think this was just a minor misunderstanding.? Yeah, okay. How 'bout we just leave, cause..."

He took the gun from Rika's hand and removed the bullets. "You know, I'll take these." He put the gun down on the floor. "I'll, uh, we'll leave this for, uh... You, uh... have a nice day?"

Rika and Sam ran as fast as they could away from Trotter's office. When they finally reached a safe distance, both of them stopped and leaned against a wall, trying to catch their breaths after the run, both of them panting. Rika took a glance at Sam and when she saw how embarrassed he looked, she burst out in laughter. She tilted her head back against the wall while she laughed so much that her tears started running.

Sam gave her an exasperated, embarrassed glance. "What?! What's so funny?"

"Oh, come on!", Rika managed to get out between her laughs. "It was a little funny, wasn't it, Mr. Bond? Let's go find Dean."

Sam caved in, but placed his hand on her arm and looked her into the eyes. "I'm so getting you for that Bond crap later, when this is over."

He tried his best to look intimidating, but it only made Rika burst into another round of laughter as she walked ahead of him towards the bar.

---

Rika and Sam were sitting at the bar. It was getting late, it was already around 11PM, but there was still no sign of Dean anywhere. He hadn't called either.

"What can I get for you?", the male bartender said as he was suddenly standing right in front of Rika and Sam.

"Um, you remember the guy we were with last night? We sat right here", Sam asked the bartender.

"The big hero who jumped on Reggie."

"Yeah, yeah. The -- the big hero. Right. Um, have you seen him around at all today?"

"Maybe. Depends."

"D-depends on what?", Sam asked and Rika was surprised at how naive he actually was, but she kind of loved that about him. She tried her hardest not to roll her eyes, but she didn't have to as the bartender raised an eyebrow and Sam quickly caught on.

"Oh, my -- does everyone around here have their hand out?", Sam sighed as he handed the bartender some money.

"He left with Casey about an hour ago", the bartender said as he put the money in his pocket.

"Any idea where they went?", Rika asked and the bartender gave her an appreciative glance.

"Her place... for Bible study", he added with another look at Rika and a small wink. Again, Rika had to restrain herself from not rolling her eyes and giving him the death stare.

"You got an address?", Sam asked.

"What's wrong with you? You think I'm gonna give you a co-worker's address just so you can go over there and get your freaky peeping-tom rocks off?"

Sam looked slightly embarrassed and gave Rika a look, pleading for help. Rika handed the bartender some more money with a sigh.

"Corner of Piermont and Clinton. Have fun", the bartender grinned and walked away from them.

Sam signaled at Rika to leave and they headed back to the motel. The walk was silent, and Rika knew Sam was lost in thoughts, wondering about his brother. In the corridor leading up to their room Sam stopped Rika. "Maybe we should go check Casey's place out, Dean could be in trouble."

Rika sighed a bit. Her instincts were telling her Dean was probably fine, better than ever even. She didn't want to think about it since it filled her head with disturbing images, but Dean was probably having sex with Casey as she and Sam were speaking. "Sam, calm down. I'm sure Dean's fine. He and Casey are probably... well, you know. Given his ways and everything. You know he never calls when he's with women. And I got no demon vibe off her. And you don't really want to walk right into that, do you?"

Sam sighed and looked more relieved at her words. "No, I guess you're probably right."

"Hey", Rika said and took his face in her hands, making her look into her eyes. She gave him her best and most calming smile. "Just forget about war and demons for one night, okay? Whatever comes, we can handle together. If Dean's not back in the morning, we'll find him. But he'll probably show up in the morning with a huge hangover, like he usually does."

She stood up on her toes and kissed him sweetly on the lips. He was eager to reply to her kiss, and soon it turned hungrier. She could tell he was smiling underneath their kiss and he pulled away for a couple of seconds. "I'm forgetting about demons alright. I might need a bit more distraction from the war, though."

Rika smiled back and spoke between kisses. "Oh, is that so?", she asked with her most teasing tone and that was it for Sam. She was irresistible, and he instantly forgot about his worries about Dean. They continued kissing passionately as they moved for the motel room door. Rika was standing with her back against the wall, Sam kissing her neck while he fiddled with the room key. Once he got the door open, he swept her up from the floor for two seconds with one arm as he moved her and placed her feet back down on the floor inside of the motel room. He bumped his behind against the door in order to close it and Rika heard the lock click as she pressed Sam against the door with her body. Both of them had wide smiles under their kisses, Rika noticed just before Sam picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist and buried her hands in his hair.

Sam turned around, and stumbled backwards towards the bed, accompanied by both of their giggles and laughs. When the edge of the bed hit the back of his knees he let himself fall down with his head against the pillows and Rika on top of him. He massaged her lower back with his hands as they kissed and her hair tickled his face. He levered himself up slightly using his elbows, and pulled Rika's shirt off while arching upwards slightly in order not to lose her lips. Once her shirt was pooled on the floor, he let himself fall back down against the pillows. She moved her hands away from his hair and ran one of them softly down his neck, causing him to moan slightly. She moved towards the top button on his button down shirt and started unbuttoning it, one button at a time.

Sam felt the fire move downwards as she traced the movement of her hands with her lips while she worked on his shirt, kissing the exposed skin on his chest. Her mouth travelled lower and lower, the pace being almost too slow for Sam to handle. The feelings were so strong that they almost scared him. He felt her tongue and lips against his skin, and the fabric of her black, lace bra soothing the trail of fire her lips had left behind when her soft breasts brushed slightly up against his stomach once in a while as she moved. When she reached the final button and reached his hipbone with her kisses, eliciting indescribable pleasure, he felt his stomach tighten and he had to grab the bed frame not to go out of control. Her lips were travelling dangerously low, and even though he would have given anything to feel her mouth _there_, he felt the need to stop her.

"Oh God, Rika", he gasped and as she reached out for the button on his jeans he grabbed her hand to stop her. Instead, he pulled her back up and soon he found her lips with a small groan. He put both his hands on the small of her back and pressed her closer against him as he let his hands travel up her back. He unhooked her bra and threw it down on the floor. He shifted positions slightly, turning her around so she was now underneath him, and in the same movement he pulled off his now unbuttoned shirt and threw it down on the floor. He worked swiftly to remove the rest of their clothing, and it wasn't long until he surged himself inside of her, eliciting a small moan from her. He abandoned her lips and instead he buried his head in her neck, kissing her there instead, tickling and teasing her with his tongue as he went along.

Rika thought she was going to die, because the things he was doing to her felt so incredible. As he moved in and out of her, she felt like she was on fire. She couldn't do anything but tilt her head backwards as she let her feet run up and down his legs in a restless motion while she kept arching her hips to meet him halfway. She had her hands on his back, and she could feel his muscles flexing underneath her touch. Sam on the other hand was fully concentrated on Rika and he could feel her with every fiber of his being. He could hear the sound of her heartbeat, and the deep, slow breaths she was taking through her mouth. He knew he was about to lose all self-control he had. When Rika felt she got closer, she lifted her head slightly from the pillow trying to find his lips again, and she quickly succeeded. When they reached the climax, Rika buried her fingers in his shoulder blades. Sam felt his stomach tighten and both of them let out loud moans as they came together.

Afterwards, both of them fell back against the pillows, side by side, panting heavily after their experience, with the covers pulled up against their chests. Rika felt the sheets stick to her body, as she was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, and she noticed Sam was in the same situation. He looked like he was glowing or something because of the light from the street outside sneaking through the curtains. Rika tried to get back her normal breathing rhythm and looked up at the ceiling in the dark room. Then she turned her head towards Sam who was lying next to her, and they both looked at each other. Sam was the first one to speak. He looked like a little kid who had just been at the candy store or something, and it almost made her laugh, because he looked so damn satisfied.

"Wow."

Rika laughed slightly and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. "Yeah. This really is Sin City, huh? It has a weird effect on people."

"It's not so bad", Sam smirked. "I kinda liked that effect."

He reached out to pull her into his embrace and she moved her head to rest on his naked chest, snuggling closer to him. Soon both of them were fast asleep, without a single worry on their minds.

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	15. Brave: Sin City III

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**Chapter 14 - Brave (Sin City Part III)**

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_I am not as brave, beautiful, and patient as you are  
But I am safe, in your arms, I listen as you say  
"I'm proud of who you've become  
and the person you will be tomorrow..."  
And I know I would give anything up for you_

I'll follow through, I promise to hold on  
I'll never let go, won't let you down  
If you can stay proud, I'll be brave somehow

I am not that brave  
Sometimes I need to hear you whisper  
"Everything's O.K... You'll be fine  
I'll help you find your way..."  
And I have nothing but faith in you  
All that I am is what you are and we are  
I would give anything up for you

Whisper... You can save me, I am listening  
I am waiting for your best to come alive  
And help me understand the reasons why  
I'm here now, living a feeling unlike my fear  
Outside of this life I am here now for you

I'll follow through, I promise to hold on  
I'll never let go, won't let you down  
If you can stay proud I'll be brave and  
I will follow you, I promise to hold on  
I'll never let go, won't let you down  
If you can stay proud I'll be brave somehow  
Gavin Mikhail - Brave

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"Hey." Rika faintly heard Sam's voice in the distance, not more than a whisper. She was still asleep and didn't want to wake up. It had been a while since she had caught a good night's sleep, and now it seemed she had finally succeeded. She tried her best to ignore Sam's voice and the fact that his hand was on her shoulder, carefully shaking her to wake her up. She couldn't ignore him any longer as his voice got a more exasperated tone. "Rika, wake up. Dean's not back yet."

Rika flickered her eyes open and looked straight into Sam's green and worried ones. She blinked a few times and gasped before she opened her mouth. "What time is it?"

"It's 10 AM."

Rika shot up in bed. "We overslept, didn't we?"

"Yeah", Sam said with a slight smile playing on his lips, but immediately turned more serious. "Hey, Dean's not back yet, and he hasn't called. I'm starting to freak out now."

"You've tried calling him?"

"Yeah, it says his phone is out of reach."

"Doesn't sound too good."

She saw how worried Sam looked and felt the sudden urge to comfort him, to say something to make things okay again. But she had no words. "Maybe it's time we checked Casey's place out then", she instead suggested and got up from bed, starting to look for her clothes. Sam did the same thing.

---

Only a little later, they were inside Casey's home and sweeping the rooms.

"Dean?", Sam tried calling, but there was no answer.

"There's no one here", Rika said. Things were certainly starting to get troubling.

She watched as Sam bent down and checked out something he had found on the floor next to a table. Rika quickly noticed what it was, a yellow, very familiar powder.

Sam looked up at her, his expression more worried than ever. "Sulfur", he said.

"Yeah. I got a vibe off the place the instant we walked in here, definitely been demons over."

"So, what do we do now?", Sam asked.

"Best thing would probably be getting back to the bar, maybe we'll be able to get some help there."

"Can't you do a tracking spell?"

"I already tried, but I couldn't find Dean. And I can't track the demons unless I know what demon I'm looking for."

Sam's eyes widened a bit in fear. "You couldn't find Dean? Does that mean... that he's..."

Rika gave him a reassuring smile. "No, it doesn't have to mean anything. It might just be the demons blocking the signal or whatever. Like with his cell. Look, I promise, we'll find him."

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When they got back to the bar, Sam insisted on calling Bobby. But there was no answer, only his voice mail. Rika listened as Sam left a message. "Bobby, It's Sam. We got a big problem. Rika and I found some sulfur, and we can't find Dean. Call me as soon as you get this."

Rika walked up to the bar with Sam, and listened as he addressed the bartender. "Hey, excuse me. They weren't there."

"I guess you got to catch your jollies another night. Here. Why don't you have a drink and relax?", the bartender suggested and handed Sam a bottle of beer.

"I don't want to relax. What is it with the people in this town?"

"Suit yourself - princess", the bartender smirked as he left, earning a sigh from Sam. Rika reached her hand out to pat his back reassuringly, and he gave her a grateful half-smile. He looked around the bar for a few seconds, probably trying to spot Dean. Instead, he spotted Father Gil and got up from his chair.

"Come on", he said and put his hand on Rika's back, leading her towards the priest.

Sam spoke as they approached him. "Father."

The old man turned around and looked at them with apparent interest in his gaze. "Yes?"

"Um... can we talk to you for a sec?", Sam pleaded.

"Well, sure son. Go ahead." The father gestured them to sit down at a table with him, and Rika and Sam took his offer, sitting down opposite from him at the table. Rika was still not quite sure as to why Sam wanted to speak to the priest.

Sam crossed his hands on the table, and cleared his throat before beginning. "So, the -- the bartender the other night, Casey, you know her pretty well?"

"Since she was in pigtails."

"Well, um, she and my brother, they, uh... they... left last night. Together." Rika could tell Sam was slightly unnerved so she put her hand on the table and placed on top of his hands and squeezed slightly, trying to show him some support.

The priest looked at them. "Well, not that I approve, but they are consenting adults."

"Right."

Then the older man looked slightly confused and furrowed his brow. "I'm sorry. You said ´brother`. I thought you were insurance investigators."

"Right, right. Well, we are. Um, it's like a family business, you know?"

"And where does your friend here come into the picture?", Father Gil asked with a smile towards Rika.

"She's my girlfriend. Like I said, family business", he said and gave Rika a slight smile.

Father Gil turned to Rika, his eyes lingering on the silver cross she always wore around her neck "Tell me, Rika is it?", he asked and she nodded before he continued. "Are you religious?"

"Yes." Rika noticed Sam was now looking at her. They didn't speak of religion that much, but she had once told him that she was a believer, right after they had first met. And she knew he was eager to believe in angels and God as well. Sometimes at night she had heard him whisper prayers when he thought she was asleep.

"Catholic?", the father asked as a follow-up question.

"No, Lutheran."

"Ah, I see", the father nodded. "Have you two ever thought of marriage?"

Rika gave Sam and exasperated glance, not sure what she should respond to such a question. She would have given anything to be normal, and be able to have a normal life. Marriage, children, white picket fence, the whole nine yards. But she knew it probably wasn't an option, not with her lifestyle. Besides, she and Sam had only been officially together for a couple of months, and it was too soon to even be discussing something like this. Trying to get through the next day was enough trouble.

Thankfully, Sam was quick to try and change the subject. "Anyways, um, so, we went to Casey's apartment, and they weren't there. I just have this feeling that they -- that they might be in trouble."

The father let his eyes linger on Rika for a second before he turned to Sam. Apparently he had decided to let the subject go. "What kind of trouble?"

"Just trouble. Please, Father, we need your help. Is there anything you could tell us about Casey -- any place she'd go, maybe?"

"Yes, there is a place. Let me get my jacket."

Sam gave Rika a helpless look, and she completely understood why. They couldn't exactly take an old priest with them if they were going to fight demons. "No, wait, Father. We can do this by ourselves", Rika tried with her brightest smile.

Father Gil just shook his head. "Listen youngsters, if Casey's really in trouble, then there's nothing to talk about." He stood up and put on his coat. "Shall we go?"

---

It wasn't long until the three of them were sitting in Father Gil's car. He was driving, Sam was riding shotgun and Rika was sitting in the backseat. Sam would probably gladly have given her the front seat, but she didn't mind. His legs were too long for him to be sitting in the backseat anyways. The drive was silent, until Father Gil's voice broke the silence. He turned to Sam. "So, insurance investigating. You enjoy the work?"

"Yeah. I... like being able to help people."

"Ever think about doing anything else?"

"Like what?", Sam asked and Rika knew this was a touchy subject for him. He had dropped out of college after his old girlfriend Jessica died. He had fought so hard to get there and get away from the life as a hunter, and he had been on his way to become a successful lawyer. And then all his dreams had been thrown on the ground and stomped on. Rika had at least been a bit luckier, she had managed to finish college even though she wasn't actually making much use of her education now that she had joined the brothers on their roadtrip.

"Mmm, anything. You seem like a pretty smart kid. Somehow I see you out in front of the pack. You could do some great things", Father Gil continued and gave Sam and encouraging smile.

"I don't know. I like doing what I'm doing, I guess." Rika tried scanning Sam's face in the mirror, and she noticed he didn't look like he believed what he was saying. Maybe she should talk to him about this later, see if he wanted to open up to her.

"Well, it's your life. Does, um... Dean?"

"Yeah, Dean", Sam confirmed and allowed the father to continue.

"Does he find trouble often?"

Sam gave out a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, yeah, Dean finds his fair share."

"Well, it's a good thing he has you -- his brother's keeper." Father Gil smiled. Rika was a bit unsure, there was something odd about Father Gil, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. But he wasn't a demon or was he? At least she hadn't been able to sense it, which would be odd if he was possessed. Maybe her slayer sense was out of tune or something? Or maybe Father Gil was just genuinely interested? She decided on keeping an eye on him for the time being, until she was sure. If there only was a way for her to inform Sam of her suspicions without the father noticing...

When they pulled up outside Casey's parents' house, Sam ran out of the car as fast as he could, with Rika in tow. She tried the front door, and it was locked.

"Dean?!", she heard Sam call and she shouted the same thing.

Sam turned towards Father Gil. "Check that way", he said and Father Gil nodded, going to the direction Sam pointed.

Rika followed Sam. The Rika realized something. "Oh crap, I forgot the scythe back at the motel!"

"Don't worry, if there are demons, we'll find another way, okay? Exorcism or something", Sam suggested as they walked. When they reached one of the windows for the basement they heard Dean's familiar voice. "Sam?"

"Dean?", Sam tried again.

"Sammy, down here! The basement caved in!"

Sam and Rika both looked down the window and saw Dean. "Dean. Hey, hold on, okay? We're coming", Sam said.

"Who's we?", Dean asked.

"We're here with the father", Sam explained.

"Sammy, Rika, be careful", Dean warned. As Rika and Sam turned around in order to go find their way into the basement they noticed the father was standing behind them and both of them jumped. He closed his eyes with a smirk and when he opened them again they were black. He was indeed a demon, and Rika was damning herself. She should have known. Before either of them could do anything, a shot was fired. Sam and Rika saw Bobby running towards them with the Colt, but it was too late. Father Gil used his demonic powers to fling Bobby aside. Then he went for Sam and threw him against the windshield of the Impala that was parked nearby.

Rika immediately went with her instincts and tried punching the demon, but he grabbed her arm before she managed to hit him. He twisted her arm a bit and she screamed in pain. He then threw her into the air and she hit the house wall. She looked up and watched as Father Gil left for the front door.

"Rika!", she heard Sam yell with fear in his tone but she got up from the ground. Her shoulder hurt and was probably dislocated, again.

"I'm okay", she shouted in response and watched as Sam's face relaxed a bit. They both ran up to where Bobby was lying.

"Bobby, you all right?", Sam asked.

"Yeah."

"How did you know where we..."

A blond woman got out of Bobby's car. Rika immediately recognized her as Ruby, the demon that apparently wanted to help them. Sam shot her a confused glance, Rika noticed, but she didn't care. Anger was brewing inside of her. Bobby handed Sam the Colt. "Go."

Ruby smirked. "You heard the man. Go."

Sam didn't need more, he ran away, with the Colt tight in his hand. Rika looked at Ruby. "You! I thought I told you to stay the hell away from Sam and Dean."

"You're not gonna get all pouty on me now, are you? Come on! I'm helping you kill two demons."

"They're humans too."

"Rika, you know what happens when demons piggyback humans. They leave them road hard and put-up wet. Chances are those two would have died a slow, sticky death. Sammy is probably doing them a favor."

"Doing them a favor? You're a cold bitch, you know that?", Rika spat out.

"Yeah, and this cold bitch is saving your ass right about now. Some respect might be nice. Especially if you want me to help you out with Dean and his little problem."

"Last time I checked, Dean's still going to hell. We can handle this ourselves, thank you very much."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

That was it for Rika. She jumped Ruby and punched her straight in the face, immediately getting hit back. She spun around and kicked Ruby down to the ground, where she stayed on her back, panting with blood coming from her lip. "Get the hell out of here", Rika said with her most threatening tone.

"Fine", Ruby spat out and got up from the ground, starting to walk away from the scene. Rika turned towards the house and saw Sam and Dean exit the building, walking towards her and Bobby. She turned around once more to check if Ruby was still there, but she was gone.

Rika ran up to Sam and Dean, meeting them halfway. Sam hugged her but he pulled away as he heard her gasp in pain slightly.

"You okay?", he asked worriedly.

"Dislocated shoulder I think, again. No biggie", she smiled. "And you two?"

"Yeah, we're fine", Dean said with a worried glance at Sam.

"What happened in there?", Rika asked.

"Sam shot Casey and the father", Dean said, still keeping his eyes on his brother. "Saved my ass, I guess."

Sam was eager to change the subject. "Who was that girl?", Sam asked and let his eyes dart between Rika and Bobby.

"That? That was Ruby", Rika said. "I kicked her ass and she left, end of story."

-------------------------------------

"Can I come in?", Rika asked with a light knock on the motel room door frame. The door was open and she watched Sam's tall figure bend over his duffel on the bed he had shared with her the night before.

"Sure", Sam said and looked up at her. He was packing his bag. Rika and Dean were already packed, and they were going to leave town, all of them eager to leave as soon as possible.

Rika walked up to him. "You okay?", she asked.

"I killed two people today, Rika", he deadpanned. "How do you think I'm doing?"

"Not very well, I can imagine. In case you don't remember, I kind of know the feeling."

He sighed. "I'm scared Rika. I think I'm changing and I'm not sure I like it."

Rika gave him a reassuring look before she put her arms around him in a tight hug. He hugged her back and pulled her into a tight embrace, desperate for comfort from her. "We'll be okay", she whispered and kissed his chin. "You'll be okay. I'll help you find your way. I believe in you and I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here as long as you need me, I promise."

Sam relaxed into her arms after her calming words. As long as Rika was there by his side, he knew she wasn't going to allow him to slip. It was comforting.

While Rika and Sam were having their conversation, Dean and Bobby were having another one outside. Not much seemed to have changed in the town after the demons had been killed. People were still living the sinful lives, the street outside the bar filled with people.

"Well, what do you think, Bobby? What we did here, you think it made a difference?", Dean asked Bobby.

"Two less demons to worry about. That's not nothing."

"But Trotter's still alive."

"Human's ain't our job."

"Yeah, but you think anything's really gonna change? Maybe these people do just want to really destroy themselves. Maybe it is a losing battle."

"Is that you or the demon girl talking?"

Dean sighed. "Oh, it's me. Demon is dead, and so is that hot girl it was possessing."

Bobby stopped walking and turned so he was facing Dean. Both of them stood there with their hands in their pockets as Bobby spoke. "Well, had to be done. Sam was saving your life."

"Yeah, but you didn't see it, Bobby. It was cold. Bobby?"

Bobby scanned Dean's face, trying to read the young man's emotions. "Yeah?", he replied.

"Back in Wyoming, uh, there was this moment. Yellow-eyes said something to me."

"What did he say?", Bobby asked, interested and slightly afraid, he had to admit.

"That maybe when Sam came back from wherever, that... maybe he came back different." The concern in both Dean's eyes and voice was very apparent to Bobby.

"Different how?"

Dean shrugged. "I don't know. Whatever it was, it didn't sound good. You think... think something's wrong with my brother?"

"No", Bobby deadpanned. "Demons lie. I'm sure Sam's okay."

"Yeah. Yeah, me too", Dean said and nodded, trying to act brave. But neither him nor Bobby seemed to be so sure of their words.

-------------------------------------


	16. Brightly Wound: Bedtime Stories I

**A/N: **I finished watching season 4 of Supernatural a couple of days ago, and... OH MY GOD. I'm a die-hard Sammy girl myself, and did not like how things ended at all. Personally, I think he's still that kind soul in there somewhere, who believed he was doing the right thing. He was deceived by so many people that he didn't know what to believe. Although, I am so happy they finally killed Ruby, cuz personally, I hated her the whole time, especially for messing with Sam's head. I knew she wasn't to be trusted!

Hopefully next season will set things straight again. I have to admit, evil Sam isn't really my thing. I miss the good ol' day when the boys were just hunting evil, without all of this angels/Lucifer crap. But then again, that's just me. This story is kind of my way to try and keep Sam from falling, so I'm hoping you like it. Okay, new chapter coming up.

-------------------------------------

**Chapter 15 - Brightly Wound (Bedtime Stories Part I)**

-------------------------------------

_It's happening all the time  
When I open my eyes  
I'm still taken by surprise  
I hold sunlight and swallow fireflies  
And it makes me want to cry_

I love you  
I shall never grow up  
Make believe is much too fun  
Can we go far away to the humming meadow?

We were walking there  
And I had tangles in my hair  
But you make me feel so pretty  
You have shining eyes  
Yes like those forest lights  
And it makes me want to cry

I love you

This place is so lovely  
It kind of makes me very happy  
Let's go far away to the humming meadow

To the humming meadow  
To the humming meadow  
Eisley - Brightly Wound

-------------------------------------

Rika was lying in bed, pretending to be asleep, listening to the Winchesters arguing in the bathroom of the rundown motel room they were currently staying at. The brothers were whispering, but the seemed to have difficulties keeping their voices low. Rika knew they were trying to allow her to get some sleep, hence the argument in the bathroom behind a closed door. Little did they know that she wasn't sleeping, instead she heard every word. She had already gotten used to their brotherly arguments and their bickering. It was a normal day in the Winchester lifestyle. She sighed quietly as she hugged the covers tighter to her chest. Just because she was used to it didn't mean she exactly liked it.

"I don't understand, Dean. Why not?", she heard Sam's muffled but exasperated voice from the bathroom.

Dean's response was immediate and short. "Because I said so."

"We got the Colt now!" Rika could tell just from the tone of Sam's voice that he was frustrated and irritated at his brother. Nothing new about that. Sam and Dean loved each other, but they also knew how to push each other's buttons.

When Dean spoke again, he had a warning and calm tone. "Sam..."

The calmness didn't last, and it wasn't long before both of them were talking over each other. Rika had to really concentrate in order to catch anything. "We can summon the crossroads demon...", Sam said.

"We're not summoning anything."

"...Pull the gun on her and force her to let you out of the deal!"

"We could've done that before too, with Rika's scythe. What's changed now? Besides, we don't even know if that'll work!", Dean tried to reason.

"Well then we'll just shoot her! If she dies then the deal goes away!", Sam said and lowered his voice again when he noticed he was starting to yell.

"We don't know if that'll work either, Sam! All you're pitching me right now is a bunch of ´ifs` and ´maybes` and that's not good enough, because if we screw with this deal, you die!"

"And if we don't screw with it, you die!", Sam whispered with slightly more volume and clear irritation in his voice.

"Sam, enough! I am not going to have this conversation", Dean deadpanned.

"Why, because you said so?"

"YES BECAUSE I SAID SO!", Dean yelled, clear as a day, but cleared his throat when he realized what he had done. It was so obvious they were trying not to wake Rika, an unnecessary effort seeing as she had never been asleep. Sleep had been a rare gift for her lately.

"Well, you're not dad!", Sam retorted and after that both of them fell silent for a moment. Rika's heart was pounding as she waited for the rest.

After a moment, Dean spoke again. "No, but I am the oldest. And I'm doing what's best. And you're going to let this go, you understand me?"

Sam said nothing, and neither did Dean. Rika knew they were probably glaring at each other in the bathroom, like they usually did after conversations like this one, arguments that lead nowhere, that neither of them was winning.

Rika heard Dean mumble a "Damn it" before the bathroom door opened quietly. Silently she watched as Dean walked out of the bathroom and grabbed his jacket from the chair.

Sam appeared in the bathroom doorway. "Where are you going?", he calmly whispered at Dean.

"Out", was Dean's short response as he left the motel room and shut the door as quietly as he could. Sam stayed put for a moment and Rika heard him sigh. Then he turned off the light in the bathroom, shut the door and quietly made his was towards the bed he and Rika were sharing, the same one she was already lying in. She closed her eyes, still keeping up the charade of being asleep. She was lying on the side, and she heard Sam stop by the bed behind her back. He leaned in and kissed the top of her head before she felt him lift the covers and lay himself underneath them. Carefully he nudged one arm underneath her body and wrapped the other one around her and just as carefully he pulled her closer towards him, holding her. She smiled slightly as she felt his breath tickle against her neck before he placed a tender kiss on her shoulder.

Rika couldn't pretend any longer, so she turned around to face him. She managed to make out his surprised face in the darkness that surrounded then. "You're awake", he deadpanned as he looked into her eyes.

"Yeah", she said. "You okay?"

"I don't know, maybe", he confessed.

"Want to talk about it?", she asked and scanned his expression.

"No, not really."

"Okay", she said and gave him a small smile. Rika wouldn't have minded Sam opening up to her, but if he didn't want to, she wasn't going to push him. She placed one hand on his cheek and gently wiped her thumb across his bottom lip before she leaned in and kissed him as softly as she could, eliciting a sigh from him. After that, she put her head back on the pillow and nustled herself closer to him, and soon both of them fell asleep, comforted by each other's embrace.

-------------------------------------

Rika listened to the roaring of the Impala's engine as Dean was speeding down the road. The trip so far had been painfully silent, none of them had spoken. The drive had only been accompanied by the tunes of Metallica on almost full volume. Dean had returned to the motel early in the morning and after a bit of breakfast, the trio had skipped the town they had been staying in. The brothers were still silent in each other's company, but Sam had found a new case. Suddenly, Dean turned down the volume.

"Tell me about the psychotic killer", he deadpanned with a look at Sam. When Sam didn't reply immediately, he continued with clear frustration in his voice. "C'mon, Sam, tell me about the psychotic killer."

Sam picked up the paper that was sitting in his lap and begun reading monotonously. "Psychotic killer. Rips victims apart with brute-like ferocity."

"OK, any mention of his razor sharp teeth or his four inch claws? Animal eyes?", Dean asked.

"No. But the lunar cycle's right. Look, if it is a werewolf we don't have long, the moon's full this Friday and that's the last time it changes for a month."

"Two days, no sweat", Dean said with a shrug and turned the volume back up, singing along to "Nothing Else Matters".

-------------------------------------

Sam, Dean and Rika flashed their fake badges at the man called Kyle, who was lying in the hospital bed. Rika took in the sterile hospital scent, bleach, medicine, illness and disinfectant. She hated hospitals, and would probably never grow to like them. Maybe it had something to do with all the time she had spent there injured in her early slayer days, back when she was still a teenager. When she came to the states to go to college in Boston, she had always patched herself up, or with the help of her watcher, just to avoid hospitals.

Sam had manufactured a couple of fake badges for Rika too, as he and Dean had felt like she needed them if she was doing recon with them. Rika had to admit Sam had done a great job with the fake I.D:s for her, she wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between them and the real deal. Kyle was the only one of three men to survive the vicious attack, the one the trio was suspecting to be a werewolf attack, and they were about to ask him some questions.

"I'm Detective Plant, this is Detective Page", Dean said with a gesture towards Sam and then pointing towards Rika. "And this is Detective Anderson. We're with the County Sheriff's Department."

"Yeah, uh. I've been expecting you", Kyle said and nervously looked down at the sheets.

Dean looked at Rika and Sam in confusion before addressing Kyle again. "You have?"

"All morning. You are the sketch artists, right?", Kyle said and looked up at the with an asking expression on his face. Rika liked Kyle, he seemed to be a nice guy. It was a shame, what he had been through.

Sam glanced nervously at his brother, apparently not knowing what to say. "...uhm."

Dean just grinned. "Absolutely."

"Yeah", Sam said quietly, going along with Dean.

"Yeah. That is exactly who my partner is." He gestured at Sam. "The things he can do with a pen." Dean laughed.

Sam glared at Dean. Rika felt slightly sorry for him, he probably couldn't draw to save his life. Maybe she should help her out of his misery and tell him that she actually could draw? She had done a lot of charcoal portraits when still in college, and she had actually gotten pretty good at it. But nah, this was probably going to be funny, and she needed a little laugh.

"But listen before we get started on that I wanted to ask you, uh, how'd you get away?", Dean asked Kyle.

"I- I have no idea. I was hiding, and he found me. He was coming right for me and then he just stopped. Staring at me with this blank look. And after that he just took off running."

Rika glanced at Dean and shrugged. That was weird, she had to admit.

Sam cleared his throat. "'Kay. Um, I'm going to need as much physical detail as you can remember." He furrowed his brow and looked slightly nervous. Rika noticed he gulped a bit, but yet he tried to seem professional. He pulled a pen and a notebook out of his pocket and started sketching.

"Uh yeah. Uh, he's about six feet tall...", Kyle begun.

"Six feet...", Sam repeated and Rika had to use all of her self-control not to burst out in laughter.

"Dark hair."

"Uhm, what about his eyes, what color eyes did he have?", Sam asked and briefly looked up from the sketchbook.

"Maybe blue?", Kyle said and looked concentrated.

"Blue", Sam repeated.

"It was dark", Kyle excused himself.

"Did they seem, uh, animalish?", Dean asked.

"Excuse me?", Kyle said and looked at the three of them in confusion. Rika gave him an encouraging smile and he seemed to relax slightly.

"What about his teeth? You notice anything strange about 'em?", Sam asked.

Kyle shook his head. "No, they were just teeth."

"Teeth, OK."

"How about his fingernails?", Dean added suddenly.

"OK look. He- he's just a- a normal guy, with normal eyes and- and teeth and fingernails!", Kyle said, apparently starting to get startled and unnerved. The Winchesters weren't handling this that smoothly, but then again, being stealthy wasn't really their thing, or so Rika had noticed while she had been traveling with them the last two months.

"Look sir, it's OK if--", Sam begun, trying to calm Kyle down, but he was interrupted.

"No. No. Those were my brothers. This guy, he- he killed my brothers. How would you feel?"

Sam paused and looked down. "I can't imagine anything worse."

Both Dean and Rika glanced at Sam. Both of them knew how he felt about losing his brother. Rika was eager to change the direction of the conversation. "I know this isn't easy but if you could remember any more details?", she tried and gave Kyle a compassionate smile.

"There- There was one more thing he had a- a tattoo on his arm of a cartoon character. It's, uh, it's the guy who's chasing the Roadrunner--"

"Wile E. Coyote!", Dean grinned.

"Yeah, that's it."

They were interrupted as a doctor entered the room. "Kyle?", he asked calmly.

"Dr Garrison."

"How you holding up?", the doctor asked Kyle with a kind smile as he walked up to the bed holding some charts.

Kyle shrugged. "OK, considering."

"You're Kyle's doctor?", Dean asked.

Doctor Garrison turned towards him. "Yes?", he asked.

Dean merely held up his fake badge. "Can I just ask you a few questions?"

The doctor nodded. "Sure."

Sam and Rika watched as Dean left the room with doctor Garrison, leaving them alone with Kyle. Sam and Rika looked at each other.

"Don't I get to see it?", Kyle suddenly asked, referring to the sketch. Rika let a little smile play on her lips. This was going to be good.

"Wha? Uh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, uhm yeah it's a, you know. Work in progress", Sam tried excusing himself. Sam handed his notebook to Kyle and Rika managed to get a glance at the picture he had drawn. It was a badly drawn image of a man, almost like a stick figure or some kind of child's drawing. She nearly burst out in laughter right there. Kyle just looked at the picture in confusion, trying to figure out what to say.

"Hm. It- it's really... huh."

Rika knew that she had to rescue Sam out of the situation, so she took the notebook from Kyle and grabbed Sam's arm gently. "Thanks Kyle, I think we got everything. We really appreciate your help." She smiled at Kyle who merely nodded.

"Okay, come on Picasso, let's go find Dean", she mumbled so only Sam would hear her and he groaned slightly as she pulled him with her out of the hospital room.

Outside the room Rika turned towards Sam while she kept walking backwards down the hall. "I guess this isn't a good time to tell you I'm really good at drawing portraits", she said with a teasing smile.

His eyes widened. "Oh no you didn't."

"Oh yes I did", she replied with a bright smile as she turned away from him and hurried down the hall, chuckling slightly. He attempted to make a grab for her, without succeeding. "It's like you're begging for trouble!", he exclaimed exasperatedly as he followed her.

-------------------------------------

"Boy, this is a piece of, uh, art. Really", Dean laughed as he looked at Sam's notebook in his hands while the trio walked down the street. Rika couldn't help but to laugh too.

Sam glared at Rika and snatched the notebook back from his brother. "Yeah, like you could've done any better. So what did the doc have to say about Kyle's brothers?"

"Not much, they were D.O.A. at the scene. He did give me the lowdown on the coroner's report."

"Lemme guess, their hearts were missing", Rika sighed and studied Dean's face.

"Nope, but chunks of their kidneys, lungs and intestines."

"That's just gross", Sam deadpanned and looked slightly nauseous.

"Yeah, also definitely not werewolf behavior."

"So, what? Demon? Attacker could've been possessed", Sam suggested.

"Why would a demon stop halfway through an attack?", Dean asked and Rika had to agree with him on that one. But who knew?

"I've seen weirder things happen. That's it with demons, you never know", Rika said. "But I have to agree with Dean. I doubt a demon would stop in the middle. They don't exactly care, so if they started the bloodbath, why stop?"

"I think that, uh.. Coulda... I- I got nothing", Sam begun but stopped with a sigh as he realized his defeat.

"Me neither", Dean added with a frustrated sigh.

"How about we go have some lunch and then head back to the hospital later to see if there's any news?", Rika tried suggesting and the brothers merely nodded in response.

Dean's face lit up. "Best idea all day, I'm starving!"

Rika and Sam looked at each other, and Rika mimed a "What's new?" to him and he laughed silently.

-------------------------------------

Back at the hospital later that afternoon, the three of them were walking down a corridor. Sam and Dean were still dressed in the same suits they had worn in the morning, but Rika had had to change her skirt since Dean had managed to spill some mustard on the one she had worn earlier, just typically Dean and typically her luck. Rika flinched as two country sheriff's exited a patient's room down the hall. She gave Sam and Dean a signal and the three of them walked up to the counter with their backs to the sheriffs, waiting for them to pass. Sam glanced over his shoulder and noticed the sheriffs were already gone, giving Rika and Dean a signal to continue. They walked up to the room they had just seen the sheriffs exit.

"Please, please", the young woman in the hospital bed pleaded and looked at Doctor Garrison.

"We need to observe you. The drugs might still be in your system", he argued.

"I have to go. I have things to do, arrangements I need to make!", the woman exclaimed, her eyes filled with tears. Rika felt sorry for the poor woman.

"It can wait. Now you need to rest. Stay. I'll be back in a few minutes", Doctor Garrison ordered and walked towards the trio standing in the doorway. He merely nodded at them. "Detectives."

"Doctor Garrison", Dean deadpanned.

"What the hell is going on here? My whole town is going insane."

"We'll let you know as soon as we do", Sam said with a reassuring smile towards the doctor. He just shook his head and left as Sam, Dean and Rika entered the room.

"Miss Julie Watson? Hi. We just need to ask you a few questions", Dean said and the three of them showed the woman their badges.

"Do we have to go over this again now?", Julie asked with a sigh.

"We'll try to be brief. Miss Watson, can you tell us how you got away?", Sam asked softly.

"I didn't eat as much as Ken did, so I wasn't as out of it. And, when the old woman was... carving up Ken, I shoved her and she fell. Cracked her head on the stove. She's dead, right? I- I killed her?", Julie asked and started crying again. She blew her nose in a tissue she grabbed from the bedside table.

"Do you have any idea why she did this to you?", Rika asked with a compassionate smile.

"No! One minute she was a sweet old lady and the next she was, like, a monster."

"Can you remember anything else?", Sam tried.

Julie looked thoughtful before replying. "Um, yeah. Did you find a little girl there, by any chance?"

The trio shot each other a couple of confused glances. Rika furrowed her brow. "A little girl? At the house?", she asked in confusion.

"I thought I saw her outside the window. She just disappeared. Just vanished, into thin air. It- it must've been the drugs." Rika looked over at Sam. That sounded strangely like a ghost to her. Now they were getting somewhere.

"This disappearing girl what'd it-- what did she look like?", Dean asked.

"Does it matter?", Julie asked and let her eyes dart between the three people standing by her bed.

"Yes. Every detail matters", Sam explained.

Julie sighed. "She had this dark, dark hair and really pale skin. She was around eight. She was a beautiful child, it was... odd to see her in the middle of something so horrible."

"Okay, thank you for you help, Miss Watson", Rika said and gave her a soft smile.

Sam and Dean flanked her on each side as they walked out of the room. "What d'you guys think?", Rika asked. "Ghost?"

"Maybe", Sam nodded. "We should go check out the house."

-------------------------------------


	17. Fairytale: Bedtime Stories II

-------------------------------------

**Chapter 16 - Fairytale (Bedtime Stories Part II)**

-------------------------------------

_Cinderella's on her bedroom floor  
She's got a  
Crush on the guy at the liquor store  
Cause Mr. Charming don't come home anymore  
And she forgets why she came here  
Sleeping Beauty's in a foul mood  
For shame she says  
None for you dear prince, I'm tired today  
I'd rather sleep my whole life away than have you keep me from dreaming_

'cause I don't care for your fairytales  
You're so worried about the maiden though you know  
She's only waiting on the next best thing

Snow White is doing dishes again cause  
What else can you do  
With seven itty-bitty men?  
Sends them to bed and calls up a friend  
Says will you meet me at midnight?  
The tall blonde lets out a cry of despair says  
Would have cut it myself if I knew men could climb hair  
I'll have to find another tower somewhere and keep away from the windows

Once upon a time in a faraway kingdom  
Man made up a story said that I should believe him  
Go and tell your white knight that he's handsome in hindsight  
But I don't want the next best thing  
So I sing and hold my head down and I break these walls round me  
Can't take no more of your fairytale love

I don't care  
I don't care  
Worry bout the maiden though you know  
She's only waiting spent the whole life being graded on the sanctity of patience and a dumb  
Appreciation  
But the story needs some mending and a better happy ending  
Cause I don't want the next best thing  
No no I don't want the next best thing  
Sara Bareilles - Fairytale

-------------------------------------

The house where Julie and her husband had been attacked gave nothing away, at least not under plain sight. You could never have imagined a bloody murder going on there. It smelled of old lady's house mixed with flowers and homebaked goods. Rika took a glance out the window, looking at the Impala parked outside. She turned around as she heard Dean entered the kitchen where the old lady had attacked the people and where Julie had seen the mystery girl after checking the rest of the house.

"Well there's no sulfur anywhere, how about the EMF?", he asked his brother, who was standing by the other kitchen window with the EMF in his hands. It was beeping like crazy.

"Yeah, it's going nuts. Right over here by the window. There's definitely a spirit here."

Rika didn't need the EMF to know there had been a spirit there. Had been being the key word. She could feel it. "There _was_ a spirit here", she commented calmly. "Not anymore."

Sam gave her a questioning glance. "I can feel it", Rika quickly explained and let her fingers softly brush across the window. "Slayer-spidey-sense-thingy, you know."

"So, there was a spirit here, who stood outside the crime scene and watched", Dean said and Sam's attention turned away from Rika.

"Looks like", Sam shrugged.

"What the hell do you two make of that?", Dean asked and looked from Sam to Rika.

"Actually I do have a theory. Uh, sorta", Sam added looking a bit embarrassed.

"Hit me", Dean said and sat down on the kitchen table.

"Well, thinking about fairytales."

Dean's eyes widened before his face lit up in a big grin. "Oh that's-- that's nice. You think about fairytales often?", he teased.

Sam sighed. "No, Dean I'm talking about the murders. A guy and a girl, hiking through the woods, an old lady tries to eat 'em."

"Hansel and Gretel", Rika said and then said the same thing in Swedish. "Hans och Greta." Sam's theory actually made sense, now that she realized what he was going at.

He gave her an appreciative look and a small smile. "Yeah. Then we got three brothers arguing over how to build houses, attacked by the Big Bad Wolf."

"Three Little Pigs", Dean said.

Sam nodded. "Yeah."

"Actually those guys were a little chubby", Dean grinned. "Well, wait. I thought those things ended with uh, everyone living happily ever after?"

"Not the originals", Rika commented and once again got an impressed look from Sam.

"See the Grimm brothers stuff was kinda the folklore of it's day, full of sex and violence, cannibalism. Now it got sanitized over the years, turned into Disney flicks and bedtime stories", Sam continued and Rika noticed he looked at her for just a fraction of a second as he mentioned "sex". The look was barely noticeable, but it was definitely there.

"So you think the murders are uh, what? A re-enactment? That's a little crazy", Dean argued, not having noticed what Rika had.

"Crazy as what? Every day of our lives?", Sam retorted.

"Touche. How's the creepy ghost girl involved?", Dean asked.

"Uhm, well, she must've been here for a reason. I'm willing to bet you top dollar she was at the construction site too."

"I bet she's the one doing it", Rika muttered. This time neither of the Winchesters heard her, which had to be a first. Sam usually caught her little comments from under her breath.

"We gotta do research now, don't we?", Dean said with a pained look on his face and Sam shrugged, earning a sigh from Dean. Rika knew how much Dean hated research, he was more action guy, someone who didn't like to sit with his nose buried in a bunch of books. Personally, she had nothing against research. She found it interesting, and she knew Sam did too.

-------------------------------------

Sam and Rika were waiting in the park outside of Cumberland County Central Library, waiting for Dean. They had teamed up to do research while Dean had agreed to go to the library. When he finally exited, he didn't exactly look happy.

"So?", Sam asked his brother as he approached them.

"I checked every record they had. Found the usual amount of childhood deaths for a town this size", came the reply.

The three of them started walking through the park as Sam spoke calmly. "OK."

"Wanna know how many how many were little girls with black hair and pale skin?", Dean asked.

"Zero", Rika guessed.

"Zero! You wanna know how many how many little girls with black hair and pale skin that have gone missing? Right again. Zip. zilch, nada. Tell me you two've got something good, 'cause I've totally wasted the last six hours."

"Well, you ever hear of Lillian Bailey? She was a British medium from the 1930's", Sam said and Rika looked at him. She loved it when he was all serious, explaining his theories. After five hours of surfing the web, she and him had finally together come up with something that might actually apply to the case.

"She got a thing for fairytales?", Dean asked sarcastically.

"No, trances. See she'd go into these unconscious states where uhm, get this, her thoughts and actions were completely controlled by spirits", Sam explained to his brother.

"A ghost puppet master."

"Yeah."

"Think that's what this kid is doing? Sending wolfboy and grandma into trances, making them go kill-crazy?", Dean asked.

"Could be. You know, kinda like uh, a spirit hypnosis or somethin'", Sam said and shrugged.

"Trances I get, but fairytale trances? That's bizarre even for us", Dean commented just before the three of them stopped as they heard a croaking noise. Rika looked down and saw a bullfrog sitting in the middle of the road.

"Yeah, you're right. That's completely normal", Sam said sarcastically, letting his eyes dart from the frog to Dean.

"All right, maybe it is fairytales. Totally messed-up fairytales. I tell you one thing, there's no way I'm kissing a damn frog", Dean said and looked slightly disgusted. Rika barely noticed that the eyes of both brothers suddenly turned towards her. She felt her eyes widen as she realized what they were thinking.

"The hell I'm kissing that frog!", she said firmly and shook her head. "If you're too much of a wuss to kiss the frog, why do you think I'd do it?"

"Well, in the fairytales the princess kisses the frog, and I ain't no princess", Dean grinned.

Rika shivered in disgust. "That's just sick", she said and then with a smile towards Sam she added: "And besides, I already have my prince."

It was Dean's turn to look disgusted. "Chick-flick moment alert!", he said.

"Hey, check that out", Sam suddenly said and pointed towards a house at the end of their path. There was a pumpkin sitting on the porch.

Dean shrugged. "Yeah? It's close to Halloween."

"What? You remember Cinderella? The pumpkin that turns into a coach and the mice that become horses?", Sam said and looked at his brother like he was stupid or something.

"Dude, could you be more gay?", Dean commented. Both Sam and Rika were speechless. "Don't answer that", Dean then quickly added.

"You two done?", Rika asked and sighed. "We should really check out the house."

Sam nodded and Dean started walking towards the house. Rika started walking too, but was stopped by Sam who grabbed her arm and spun her around. She found herself in his arms, staring into his eyes as he quickly bent down and kissed her softly. Instinctively she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, completely forgetting what they were doing. They were quickly interrupted by an impatient Dean.

"Oh, come on you two!", he yelled anxiously as he was standing ahead of them. Rika and Sam pulled away from each other, and reluctantly Rika inched herself out of his arms.

"We should go before Dean throws a tantrum", Rika joked and Sam chuckled. Together they caught up with Dean and walked up to the door. Sam pulled out his lock pick from a pocket and soon the door was open. The three of them entered.

"Well who knows, maybe you'll find your fairy godmother?", Dean joked with a glance at Sam who just rolled his eyes. They split up, Dean walking into the opposite direction as Rika and Sam. Suddenly, all three of them heard a noise. The Winchesters were quick to draw their guns. Rika hadn't brought hers. She had one just in case, but guns weren't really her thing. She preferred the more classical weapons, such as crossbows, swords and the scythe of course. Guns were never any good. Sam gave her a signal to follow him and she walked closely behind him as they headed through the house into the kitchen where they met up with Dean outside.

"Help! I'm in here!", they heard the frightened voice of a teenage girl. They found her in the kitchen, chained to one of the cupboards.

Sam hurried to her and bent down next to her. "Hey, hey. It's OK. We're here, we got you", he said softly, trying to calm the girl.

She looked up at the three of them with eyes widened in fear. "You have to help me, she's a lunatic."

"What happened?", Rika asked calmly.

"My step mom, she just freaked out, screamed at me, beat me. Chained me up", the girl explained, speaking at an incredibly fast rate.

"Where is she now?", Sam asked.

The girl anxiously looked around. "I don't know."

Rika looked around too. As she looked through the kitchen door, she saw a little dark-haired girl peeking out. She was dressed in a blue and white dress and had a red headband. Her hair was black, contrasting against her pale skin. She was a beautiful child, Rika had to admit, just like Julie had said.

"Guys", she deadpanned over her shoulder, still keeping her eyes on the girl.

Sam and Dean looked up and saw the girl too. Just about then, the girl walked away and Rika followed her. She could feel someone walking behind her, and turned her head over her shoulder, only to see Dean right in her trail. Sam had apparently stayed with the teenage girl, trying to free her from the chains. Dean caught up with Rika and both of them walked back through the house. They stopped in the hall as they noticed the girl standing in the middle of the adjacent living room. Dean and Rika looked at each other before watching as the girl walked out of sight. They followed her, entering the living room. It was empty, but they continued walking further inside. Both of them jumped as they heard the creaking of the floorboards behind them and then they turned around only to see the girl standing behind them.

"Who are you sweetie?", Rika tried with her softest voice, but the girl was silent. Instead, she started flickering before disappearing completely. In her place was a red, shiny apple on the living room carpet. Rika looked at Dean. He looked slightly surprised before he crouched to pick up the apple. He looked at Rika and rolled his eyes with a sigh.

---

Later, Dean and Rika were sitting on the Impala's hood as Sam walked up to them. Dean was playing with the apple, something that was starting to bug Rika.

"Paramedics picked up Cinderella", Sam deadpanned as he sat down on the hood next to Rika.

"That's good", came Dean's short response.

"Yeah", Sam merely said before Dean tossed him the apple and he caught it in mid-air.

"So... Little girl, shiny red apple. I'm guessing that means something to you, fairytale boy?", Dean said.

"I think it's Snow White."

"Snow White? Oh, I saw that movie. Well, the porn version anyway. There was this wicked stepmother? Woo, she was wicked", he added with a huge grin on his face, apparently lost in other worlds. Rika rolled her eyes, earning a smile from Sam as he noticed.

"There is a wicked stepmother", he confirmed. "And she tries to kill Snow White with a poison apple."

"But the apple doesn't actually kill the girl, right?", Dean said.

"No. Puts her into a deep sleep, so deep it's almost like she's dead."

"Guys, I have an idea", Rika said and looked up at them. She had been looking down into the ground during the brothers' discussion, and now she finally spoke. "Maybe we're not looking for a dead little girl. Maybe we're looking for someone in a deep sleep. Like say, someone in a coma? Hence the Snow White reference"

Sam tossed the apple back at Dean. "My thoughts exactly", he said as all three of them got into the Impala.

-------------------------------------

"No, sorry. We don't have any comatose little girls", the nurse at the hospital front desk said and Rika felt her spirits drop. She had actually thought they might be getting somewhere with their new theory, but apparently not. Rika wasn't going to give up that easily though, not without double-checking. Double-checking was part of her nature as a journalist, not her nature as the, or _a_, slayer. First thing you learned when taking journalism - always double-check your facts.

"You sure?", Rika asked.

"Totally. It's mostly old guys. And well, Callie. She's been around since before I started here."

"Callie?", Dean asked, wanting the nurse to elaborate.

The nurse got this strange expression, a mix of sadness, pity and compassion. "Yeah, it's so sad. And poor doctor Garrison, he just won't give up on her."

"Is Callie one of his patients?", Sam asked.

"No. His daughter."

"Okay, thank you", Rika said. "Could you tell us which room she's in?"

"Sure, just a sec", the nurse said and started typing on her computer.

-------------------------------------

It wasn't long until the trio found Callie Garrison's room. They stopped outside the doorway as they noticed doctor Garrison on her bedside. He was reading to his daughter. Rika immediately recognized Callie. The black hair and the beautiful, pale skin was unmistakable. It was an older version, but it was definitely the little girl she had seen.

"...and the huntsman stepped inside, and in the bed lay the wolf. So the huntsman took a pair of scissors and cut open the wolf's belly."

Sam, Dean and Rika glanced at each other. Doctor Garrison looked up and as he noticed they were there, he stopped reading and put the book down on the bedside table before he got up and walked over to the people standing in the doorway. He cleared his throat. "Detectives. Can I help you?"

"We just... Heard that Callie is your daughter", Dean explained.

"And we wanted to say how very sorry we are", Sam said with his most compassionate tone.

Doctor Garrison nodded. "Well, uh. Thank you. If you'll excuse me..."

He passed them, exiting the room and started walking down the corridor. Dean was more persistent and caught up with the doctor. Soon Sam and Rika did the same.

"Oh, heading this way? We'll walk with you. How long's Callie been like that?", Dean pried.

"We don't mean to intrude, we can't possibly understand how hard it must be for you seeing her like this", Sam added, annoyed by Dean's lack of tact as usual.

Doctor Garrison looked down with a sad smile. "It's not easy. She's uh, been here since she was eight years old."

"That's when she was poisoned?", Rika asked. The nurse had told them what had happened to Callie, and Rika couldn't imagine a worse fate for a little girl.

"Yes. Swallowed bleach. Never figured out how she got her hands on the bottle. My wife found her, uh, brought her to the ER here and I was on call."

"Your wife was uh, was that Callie's stepmother?", Dean asked.

Doctor Garrison stopped walking and looked at the three of them with a slight confusion showing through his calm expression. "Actually, yes. How'd you know that?"

Dean shrugged. "Lucky guess."

"Well, Julie was the only mother that uh, Callie ever knew. My wife passed away last year and uh, it's just my daughter and me now. She's all I got left", he said after which he paused for a moment, leaving them in an uncomfortable silence before he continued. "Uhm, excuse me I gotta get back to work."

"Yeah", Dean said with a nod. After doctor Garrison left, the three of them shared a look.

"Well, you two were right. It's Snow White in spades", Dean commented.

"Yep. Stepmom poisons the girl, puts her into a deep sleep. What's the motive you think?", Sam replied.

"Could be like Mischa Barton. Sixth Sense, not the O.C", Dean said with a shrug. Rika immediately got what he meant, she had seen the movie even though she hadn't really liked it. Apparently, Sam hadn't seen it.

"What?", he asked with a stupefied look on his face.

"Hey, you know fairytales, I know movies. She played the pasty ghost? You know the, uh, remember the mom had that thing you know, where you keep the kid sick so you get all the attention?", Dean explained.

"Oh yeah yeah yeah, uh, Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. Huh, could be", Sam replied as he had understood his brothers thoughts.

"So, say all these years Callie's been suffering silently because nobody knows the truth about what mommy dearest did?", Rika suggested.

"And after all this time her spirit just gets angrier and angrier, until it finally just starts lashing out," Sam finished for her.

"Right. Meanwhile she has to listen to dad tell her these deranged stories about a rabid wolf or a cannibalistic old lady, it's enough to drive anybody nuts", Dean commented.

"OK, but how are we gonna stop her, I mean Callie's stuck here, her father's keeping her body alive", Sam said and looked lost in thoughts.

"It does make it a bit hard to burn the bones", Dean said and looked down.

"You think?", Sam said sarcastically.

"Maybe we just have to help her move on or something?", Rika suggested. "You know, get the truth out there so she gets her vindication?"

Before the boys had a chance to reply, they heard an EMT shout. "Coming in!"

The emergency room doors opened and the trio watched as the EMTs brought in an old woman on a stretcher. A doctor approached them. "OK, what's her status?"

"72-year-old female, sustained multiple lacerations and puncture wounds. BP is 80 over 40 and falling. Sinus tachycardia", the second EMT explained.

The doctor walked up to the woman inside the ER, starting to examine her. "Is that a bite?", he asked as he studied one of the wounds.

"Looks like she was mauled by a mad dog or, maybe a wolf?", one of the EMTs suggested.

Dean looked at Sam and Rika. "What was the last story doctor Garrison was reading Callie?"

"Little Red Riding Hood", Sam deadpanned and looked at the old lady with concern all over his face.

---

A while later, the trio watched as the paramedics covered the old lady. They had tried everything they could, but the wounds were too serious and considering her old age... She hadn't survived. Rika felt a small tear fall down her cheek, poor woman, to go out like that when she should really have died of old age in bed, surrounded by the people who loved her. Rika quickly wiped away the tear before anyone could notice. No matter how much horrors she had seen, she always felt for the victims. It wasn't good for her health, but at least it meant she was human despite her slayerness.

She half-heartedly followed Sam and Dean as they went over to talk to one of the EMTs that had brought the lady into the ER.

"Excuse me", Sam said as the three of them flashed their fake badges at the EMT, a man in his mid-thirties.

"Was she the only victim?", Sam asked.

"She was found by the side of the road, barely alive. Alone", the EMT explained.

"We need to find her next of kin", Dean said.

"Yeah, she has a granddaughter", the EMT nodded.

"Do you have an address?", Dean asked and the EMT handed over a sheet of paper to Dean. They thanked the EMT before he walked away. Then Dean turned to Rika and Sam.

"Hey, you two find a way to top Callie, all right?", he said.

"What about you?", Rika asked.

"I'm gonna go stop the Big Bad Wolf", Dean said and paused before continuing. "Which is the weirdest thing I've ever said."

He walked away, leaving Sam and Rika staring after him.

-------------------------------------


	18. Imaginary: Bedtime Stories III

-------------------------------------

**Chapter 17 - Imaginary (Bedtime Stories Part III)**

-------------------------------------

_Ah, paper flowers  
Ah, paper flowers_

I linger in the doorway  
Of alarm clocks screaming  
Monsters calling my name  
Let me stay  
Where the wind will whisper to me  
Where the raindrops, as they're falling tell a story

In my field of paper flowers  
And candy clouds of lullaby (flowers)  
I lie inside myself for hours  
And watch my purple sky fly over me (flowers)

Don't say I'm out of touch  
With this rampant chaos - your reality  
I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge  
The nightmare I built my own world to escape

Swallowed up in the sound of my screaming  
Cannot cease for the fear of silent nights  
Oh, how I long for the deep sleep dreaming  
The goddess of imaginary light  
Evanescence - Imaginary

-------------------------------------

"Doctor Garrison! We need to speak with you", Sam exclaimed as he and Rika finally spotted doctor Garrison. They had been searching the hospital corridors for half an hour now, trying to find him, and they finally succeeded.

Doctor Garrison sighed as he caught sight of Rika and Sam walking towards him. "Detectives. What can I do for you?"

"Well, uhm. It's about Callie", Sam said softly.

Doctor Garrison looked utterly confused. "My daughter? What about her?"

"You know maybe, maybe could we could sit down for a minute?", Rika suggested, trying to prevent doctor Garrison from causing a scene. She could sense the annoyance in his voice, and she feared it would get worse. And they had to get him to listen.

And Rika was right. When doctor Garrison replied, he seemed a bit ticked off, his voice filled with resentment, anger and confusion. "No. What about her?"

"'Kay. Well um--", Sam said and paused. "All right doctor, this isn't gonna be easy. What happened to Callie was not an accident."

Doctor Garrison shook his head, trying to get what Sam was saying. "Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry, but it's true", Rika said compassionately.

"You have no idea what happened to my daughter", doctor Garrison deadpanned and started walking away. Rika and Sam shared a look before following him. They couldn't give up, not yet.

"There are things you don't know doctor, about your wife", Sam said.

The doctor stopped and looked at them, now even more confused. "My wife?"

"Doctor, your wife poisoned Callie", Rika explained.

The doctor paused and when he continued he sounded sad and hurt. "Why would you say something so horrible to me?"

"Because we need your help", Sam continued with a small sigh.

The doctor pointed a finger at both Rika and Sam. "You stay away from me, and my daughter, you understand?"

"Doctor this isn't... Please, uh", Sam had no chance to finish as the doctor walked inside Callie's room and shut the door right in Sam's face. He looked at Rika who was standing just inches behind him and sighed before he opened the door and both of them followed doctor Garrison inside.

"I'm calling security", doctor Garrison said calmly as they entered and reached for the internal phone on the wall. Sam wasn't going to allow him though, and clamped his hand over the phone in order to stop the doctor from using it.

"No, listen. We don't have time to do this. If you don't listen to us, more people are going to get hurt. Because Callie is going to hurt them."

"What the hell are you talking about?!", doctor Garrison shouted as his face started turning red with anger. Rika walked up to him and put a soothing hand on his upper arm.

"You're going to think we're crazy, but just listen", she smiled. "Your daughter Callie is still here, as a spirit."

Doctor Garrison looked over at his daughter lying in the bed, his eyes filled with sadness. He walked over and sat down on her bedside before looking up at Sam and Rika again. "So, you've seen her too", he said, now more calmly.

Rika and Sam shared a surprised look. "You've seen her?", Rika asked.

"I sensed her, Callie. Her presence, her scent. I even saw her standing at foot of my bed, but I never... believed it, I thought I was dreaming, I--", he begun.

"It wasn't a dream. She looks like she did when she was eight. White and blue dress. Red ribbon in her hair. She's been trying to talk to you", Sam explained.

Doctor Garrison sighed. "You're not cops, are you?", he asked and let his eyes dart between the two people standing in front of him.

"No", Rika deadpanned with her calmest voice as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Then who are you?"

"Someone who knows a little bit about this kind of thing", Sam merely said.

"But what you said about my wife poisoning Callie, that's--", doctor Garrison begun, but was interrupted by Sam.

"Sir. Callie told us."

"What?!", doctor Garrison exclaimed.

Rika smiled compassionately. "Not in so many words, but in her own way. She told us."

Doctor Garrison shook his head. "My wife loved Callie. So how is... how is that possible?"

"We don't know, but it is", Sam said.

"No. No I- I don't believe you."

Sam was starting to lose his patience. There wasn't enough time for this debate. "Look, Callie is killing people. She's angry, she's desperate, because nobody will listen to her. So, you have to listen to her. Please, listen to your daughter."

"How?", doctor Garrison asked.

"Just talk to her", Rika said. "Give it a try."

Doctor Garrison bent over his daughter. "Callie? Callie, it's dad", he begun. "It's me, daddy. Is it true? Mommy do that to you? I know I wasn't listening before, but I'm listening now. Daddy's here. Please honey, is there something you wanna tell me?", he pleaded.

Rika looked up and noticed Callie's spirit standing by the bed. Sam noticed her too. "Doctor...", he said carefully and doctor Garrison looked up at them. Rika pointed towards Callie.

"Is it true?", doctor Garrison asked and Callie's spirit nodded.

Doctor Garrison was in tears as he continued. "I'm so sorry, baby. But listen to me. You gotta stop what you're doing, OK? You're hurting people. I know everything now. I know the truth. It's time for you to let go. It's time for me to let you go."

He turned back to Callie's body on the hospital bed and kissed her lovingly on the forehead. Just then her monitors flatlined and Sam looked down at the floor seemingly upset. Rika put her hand on his right shoulder, trying to comfort him and leaned her head against his right upper arm. He carefully slid his right arm around her waist and pulled her closer, holding her for comfort. Rika noticed she was crying, just like doctor Garrison.

Doctor Garrison wept for his daughter and stroked her hair. He looked up and noticed her spirit was gone.

---

A bit later, Dean had reappeared at the hospital. He, Rika and Sam were standing at the front desk with doctor Garrison.

"And the girl's OK?", doctor Garrison asked, earning a nod from Dean in response. "So, it's really over."

"Yeah. All thanks to you", Sam said.

Doctor Garrison looked down. "Callie was the most important thing in my life. But I should've let her go a long time ago."

"See ya around, doc", Dean said.

"I sure hope not", doctor Garrison said with a half-smile. He patted Dean on the shoulder and then walked away as the trio watched him.

"You know what he said? Some good advice", Dean suddenly said with a look at his brother.

Sam's expression darkened, and he tightened his grip on Rika's hand that he had been holding. "Is that what you want me to do Dean? Just let you go?"

Dean didn't answer his brother, and instead he looked at his brother knowingly before he started walking towards the exit. Sam and Rika watched him for a moment, Sam with a slightly distraught expression on his face. After a minute Rika pulled him with her towards the exit. It was time to leave.

-------------------------------------

Rika was lying in bed, listening to Sam's deep, rhythmic breathing. She had been lying awake, waiting for him to finally fall asleep. He mumbled something in his sleep and tightened his grip on Rika's waist. She sighed silently. She would have given anything to stay there, in his arms, trying not to worry. But she couldn't. A plan was taking form in her head, especially after the discussion Sam and Dean had had the other night, about summoning the crossroad demon and threatening it to let Dean out of his deal. Sam could be right about the fact that it could be scared to let the deal go, or the deal going away if they killed it. Dean had been against the idea, and Rika knew it was mostly because of the fact that Sam would die if they tried messing with the deal. But that condition only applied to Sam and Dean, not her. The demon hadn't mentioned her meddling when it made the deal with Dean. Her plan wasn't quite the same one that Sam had thought up though. She was planning on making a little deal of her own.

Rika carefully inched herself out of Sam's arms, trying not to wake him. She tiptoed as carefully as she could towards the bathroom, where she had left her clothing before they went to bed. She hastily and quietly got dressed and picked the scythe out of her duffel bag and picked up a little bag with her supplies. She scribbled down a little note that she left on Sam's bedside table. She flinched as she heard some movement from Dean's bed. Thankfully he just turned in his sleep, grabbing the pillow tightly. Rika quietly moved for the door, and there she lingered for a moment, watching the brothers sleep. She would've given anything to stay, but she couldn't. She hadn't been able to sleep well for a long time now, afraid of her nightmares, afraid to once again wake up screaming. She loved Sam with all of her heart and couldn't stand to see him suffer because of Dean. And she actually had the power to do something about it. She loved him, and would do anything for him. Even die. And that was just what she might be doing tonight. Rika sighed once more before she closed the door.

---

Sam woke up with a start about 10 minutes after Rika had left. He had turned over in his sleep and had let his hands roam the bed, expecting to touch his girlfriend. But when he noticed he was alone in the bed, he shot up and looked around the room. There was no light in the bathroom, and no sign of Rika. He quietly called her name in the room, trying not to wake Dean. There was no answer and Sam immediately started to panic. Had she gone off to fight vampires in the night all alone again? Was she injured somewhere? Had Ruby kidnapped her again?

He looked over at the bedside table and noticed the piece of paper lying there. Hastily he picked it up, only to see Rika's now very familiar handwriting, neat, feminine and cursive. His heart almost stopped as he began reading.

_Sam,_

_I'm hoping to be back before you get a chance to read this, in which case everything will be fine and you'll never have to see this note. If I'm not back and you're reading this, things didn't go as planned, but I'm sure they will, so no need for you to worry._

_I have a plan to get Dean out of his deal, and I've gone to see the crossroads demon. If you wake up before time, please don't follow me, okay? Stay where you are. I can handle it._

_I know it'll work, and I promise I'll be back, but in case I'm not: I love you, and I will always love you. Please, don't worry. It's okay, it really is._

_Rika_

Sam jumped out of bed and hurried for his clothing, still trying not to wake Dean. His mind was racing and he was worried sick. "_God no, please don't let anything happen to her_", he thought as he got dressed. "_Don't let me be too late_". He couldn't let another person he loved make such a sacrifice for him, and in his heart he knew what she was about to do. She was going to try to make a deal for Dean. Sam swiped the Colt from Dean's duffel along with the keys to the Impala and hurried out of the room.

-------------------------------------

Rika looked around as she reached a crossroad. She had tried to pick one as far away from the motel as possible, just in case Sam and Dean would wake up and notice she was gone. Maybe she shouldn't have left that note, but she couldn't leave without saying a thing, just in case something went wrong. Sam had to know how she felt and what she had done, just in case she wasn't coming back. But Rika knew she was going to win this battle. It was a beautiful night, with the full moon grazing the sky and the song of the cricket's around her. Some fireflies were even flying above the field nearby.

She had never summoned a crossroads demon before, but she knew exactly how to do it, Hugh had once explained the ritual to her. He would have been so angry with what she was about to do, she knew it. But for Sam, she'd do almost anything. Including summoning a demon.

Rika placed a photograph of herself in the box and checked the items once more as she approached the center of the crossroad. Black cat bones, graveyard dirt, a photo of herself... Yep, everything was there. Carefully, she buried the box at the very center. She stood up, brushed off her hands and grabbed the scythe tighter as she looked around, surveying all four routes on the crossroad. As she turned around, she saw a petite woman wearing a black dress standing behind her.

"Well. If it isn't a vampire slayer. I'm touched. I mean, your boyfriend's brother's been to see me twice, but you or little Sammy. I never had the pleasure."

Rika glared at her, waiting for her to finish her little speech. The demon smirked at her, her eyes turning red, revealing her as a demon. "What can I do for you, Rika?"

"I came here to make you an offer", Rika said calmly.

"You're gonna make me an offer? That's adorable. You here to offer your soul for little Dean Winchester, now are you?"

"A chance to win it anyways."

The demon looked slightly intrigued. "What's your proposition then?", she asked as she took a few steps closer to Rika.

"You and me, hand-to-hand combat. If I win, you die and you let Dean out of his deal. You win, you get us both. Double or nothing."

The demon laughed and Rika was starting to get annoyed. She raised an eyebrow and picked the scythe up with both hands. "So, what do you say? Either that, or you stop breathing permanently. I'm sure you're aware of what my little scythe here can do. So, do we have a deal or not?"

"I have to admit I'm tempted but... Sorry sweetheart, but Dean's an adult. He made that deal of his own free will, fair and square. It's iron-clad."

"Every deal can be broken", Rika said.

"Not this one."

"What do you mean? Come on, the soul of a vampire slayer could be your's. That has to qualify for some street cred for you down in the pit."

The demon laughed. "Guess again."

"What? Then what if I kill you just like that? If you die, so does the deal, no?"

"Rika, I'm just a sales woman. I got a boss like everybody. He holds the contract, not me. He wants Dean's soul, bad. And believe me. He's not going to let it go."

"You're bluffing", Rika said and looked at the demon in suspicion. But in her heart, she knew it was telling the truth. It would've taken up on her offer had it been able to.

"Am I? Stab me, but the deal still holds, and when Dean's time is up, he's getting dragged into the pit."

"Then who's your boss? Who holds the contract?", Rika inquired.

"Why would I tell you? He's not as cuddly as me, I can tell you that."

"Who is it?", Rika asked, more determinated this time.

"I can't tell you. I'm sorry Rika. There's no way outta this one for the Winchesters. They've escaped death more than once. But not this time."

Rika was debating on what to do next, but she didn't get a chance to make up her mind before she heard a shot fire. She looked over at the crossroads demon who was standing there with a bullethole in her head, right between her eyes. He mouth and her eyes were open wide and she sizzled for a moment before she went down with a ground. In confusion as to what just had happened, Rika turned around, only to see Sam standing there a couple of meters behind her with the Colt raised and his eyes teared up. He just stared at the demon, looking torn, confused and sad.

"Sam...", Rika said softly and realized her eyes were tearing up too as she walked up to him. "How did you find me?"

His voice was shaky when he replied. "I woke up, read the note. Drove around until I found you. The car's parked a bit further away."

His hand fell down and he put the safety back on, placing the Colt under the line of his pants against his back as he rushed to her and pulled her into his arms. He hugged her so tightly with desperation that it almost scared her. "How much did you hear?", she asked carefully.

He looked at her, his eyes filled with worry and slight anger. "Enough. I can't believe you would try to do this, Rika! What if you had lost? How do you think it would have made me feel if you had given up your life for nothing? Another person I love, dragged into hell?"

"I would've won, had she accepted."

Sam's expression darkened as he pulled her in for another hug. He kept stroking her back and placing kisses all over her face and the top of her head, slightly relieved that she was okay. Then came the hoarse whisper, his voice clouded with tears and pain. "There's no way to help Dean, is there?", he deadpanned and now it was Rika's turn to hug him. She pulled away slightly, still in his arms and reached up to stroke his face, trying to comfort him.

"There has to be. There _is._ This just wasn't the way, but we'll find it, I promise. Besides, demons lie. It's kind of in their job description", she said.

"I don't think she did, not this time. You offered her your soul, like you said, the soul of a slayer. You'd think that'd qualify as major currency. She looked torn when she didn't accept it", Sam retorted and looked even sadder.

"Then we'll just find the guy who holds the contract and wipe him off the map, okay?", Rika said with determination. "If I have to travel across the globe to do it, I will." She was not going to let Dean die, it would kill Sam, and she wouldn't be able to stand that. It would destroy him completely, everything about him that she loved so dearly.

They stood there at the crossroads for a while, drawing comfort for each other. Soon they made their way back to the Impala in silence, both of them deeply lost in thoughts.

-------------------------------------


	19. Everything: Red Sky at Morning I

**A/N: **Yes! I've finally reached Red Sky at Morning, one of my favourite episodes of season three, along with for example Bad Day at Black Rock. The reason being that Bela is in it, and that whole ordeal with Sam being Gert's toyboy. It's just a damn funny episode, and I hope I manage to do it justice. I'm going to use Lifehouse songs as inspiration for the following three chapters. :) Awesome band with many, many beautiful songs. You should listen if you haven't already.

-------------------------------------

**Chapter 18 - Everything (Red Sky at Morning I)**

-------------------------------------

_Find me here__  
Speak to me__  
I want to feel you  
__I need to hear you  
You are the light  
That's leading me  
To the place where I find peace again._

_You are the strength, that keeps me walking.  
You are the hope, that keeps me trusting.  
You are the light to my soul.  
You are my purpose... you're everything._

_How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?  
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?_

_You calm the storms, and you give me rest.  
You hold me in your hands, you won't let me fall.  
You steal my heart, and you take my breath away.  
Would you take me in? Take me deeper now?_

_How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?  
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?  
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?  
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?_

_Cause you're all I want, you're all I need  
You're everything,everything  
You're all I want your all I need  
__You're everything, everything.  
__You're all I want you're all I need.  
You're everything, everything  
You're all I want you're all I need, you're everything, everything._  
Lifehouse - Everything

-------------------------------------

The Impala's engine gave off its familiar purr as the car came to a bend in the road. It was another one of their in-the-middle-of-the-night-drives, and Dean was driving as usual, speeding down the road, driving faster than he actually should. He liked pushing the speed limits, even when there was no need and they were in no hurry. Sam took a look at Rika in the backseat through the rearview mirror. She was looking out the window, her expression calm and thoughtful as usual. Sometimes Sam just wished he knew what she was thinking about. At least he knew where his own thoughts were at the moment. When they were sitting in the Impala for hours on end, Sam liked watching Rika secretly, letting his gaze linger on all the details about her. Her flowy blonde hair, the way her eyeslashes moved when she occasionally blinked, the form of her soft lips and her beautiful skin.

Sometimes she'd wake up in the middle of the night, crying or shaking from a nightmare and he would hold her until she calmed down again. Her dreams about Hugh and his death had stopped after she visited his grave, but Sam knew she had other things on her mind as well. Him, Dean's deal, Ruby, the prophetic dream she had had a few months ago, the one he wasn't sure she had still come completely clean about. She hadn't figured it out yet, she had told him. Maybe once she did, it would bring her some peace of mind. Her dreams were usually gone by the early morning hours, and when she finally managed to fall into a dreamless sleep, he'd sometimes just lie awake and listen to her rhythmic breathing or stroke her hair. Even after all these months together, he was still amazed by her and he realized he was falling more and more in love with her for every day that passed.

Sam's thoughts were interrupted by Dean clearing his throat and he was brought back to reality. Dean moved around a bit, and looked slightly impatient, Sam noticed as he looked at his brother.

"So, I've been waiting since Maple Springs. You got something to tell me?", Dean finally said.

Sam did his best to look confused, even though he knew exactly what Dean was talking about. "It's not your birthday", he said.

"No", came Dean's short response, his eyes still on the road.

"Happy Purim? Dude, I don't know. I have no idea what you're talking abou--", he acted but Dean interrupted him.

"There's a bullet missing from the Colt."

Sam looked away from Dean and out the window. In the backseat Rika flinched at the turn of the conversation. This was going to be hard to explain, so she hoped Sam could deal. Otherwise she'd have to step in and tell Dean it was all her fault. After all, she was the one to go after the crossroads demon in the first place and Sam had merely followed here, worried for her safety. On the other hand, she knew similar ideas to her own had been brewing in his mind before she went ahead and put her plan into motion. It was a shame it hadn't worked out the way she had hoped.

"Do you want to tell me how that happened?", Dean asked but Sam just shook his head in response. "I know it wasn't me, and Rika hates guns. So, unless _you _were shooting at some incredibly evil cans..."

"Dean--", Sam begun but Dean wouldn't let him finish.

"You went after her, didn't you? The crossroads demon, after I told you not to!", Dean said, now starting to sound angrier, losing his pokerface.

"Yeah, well...", Sam begun but this time he was interrupted by Rika in the backseat.

"Dean, don't be pissed off at Sam. He didn't go after the demon, I did."

Dean looked up. "You did what?!"

"I went to make a deal with her and Sam came to find me."

"You could have gotten yourself killed, both of you!", Dean shouted.

"Well, we didn't", Sam said calmly. "Just give Rika a break Dean, she was just trying to help."

"And you shot the crossroads demon", Dean deadpanned with a look at Sam, ignoring his last comment.

"She was a smartass", Sam retorted and looked out the window again.

"So, what? Does that-- does that mean I'm out of my deal?", Dean asked letting his eyes dart from Sam to the road.

"Don't you think we might have mentioned that little fact, Dean? No, someone else holds the contract", Rika commented from the backseat, even though she was ambivalent about getting caught in the middle of their argument.

Dean looked at Rika through the mirror. "Who?"

"She wouldn't say", Sam explained.

Dean shook his head and then spoke with his usual sarcasm. "Well, we should find out who, of course, our best lead would be the crossroads demon. Oh, wait a minute..."

Sam glared daggers at Dean. "That's not funny."

"No, it's not! It was a stupid freakin' risk, and you shouldn't have done it. Neither of you!", Dean yelled with a glance at Rika.

Sam looked at Dean in disbelief. "I shouldn't have done it? You're my brother, Dean. And no matter what you do, I'm gonna try and save you. And I'm sure as hell not gonna apologize for it, all right?"

Dean didn't reply. Instead, he just stared straight ahead. Sam shook his head and looked away from his brother again, out the window. Rika watched the brothers for a moment before she sighed and closed her eyes. She couldn't deal with this at the moment. They were constantly bickering and she was just tired. She took her iPod out of her bag and put the earphones in, turning the volume up. She might as well listen to some music, and soon she let herself fall asleep to the tones of Jack's Mannequin, one of her favourite bands.

-------------------------------------

Sam had never been so uncomfortable during a reconnoissance. He and Dean were talking to Mrs. Gert Case, or _miss_ as she insisted on him calling her, the aunt of a woman who had been found dead in the little town by the coast that they were investigating. Gert had been shooting him these odd glances, looking him up and down and God forbid, she had been flirting with him the entire time they had been talking to her. Sam was just happy Rika wasn't there to witness the disaster. She wouldn't have exactly been jealous, since Gert was old enough to be Sam's grandmother, but he knew she'd be laughing her ass off in chorus with Dean. Sam knew he was going to hear about this later. Rika had chosen not to go with them to interview Gert, she had told them she'd have a look around town instead, insisting that Sam and Dean were much better at the recon thing anyways and that she wasn't that good with the stealth.

Gert's niece Sheila had been found in the shower, drowned, which was the reason Sam, Dean and Rika were in town. Gert had just mentioned someone called Alex, and Dean had told her they were working with this Alex person, even though they had no idea who she was. Apparently this Alex had told Gert the case was closed, which lead to more explanations. Sam wanted to push the conversation forward, to get out of there and back to Rika as soon as possible.

"So anyways, we were talking about your niece", Sam deadpanned.

"Well, yes. Sheila mentioned something quite strange before she died. She said she saw a boat", Gert continued her story.

"A boat?", Dean repeated, looking slightly confused.

Gert gave them a conspicuous smile. "Yes, one minute it was there, then it was gone. It just disappeared right before her eyes. You think it could be a ghost ship?"

Sam exchanged a look with his brother. It was odd for a civilian to be so open to the possibility of it being something supernatural.

"Alex thinks it could be a ghost ship", Gert continued and let her eyes dart between the brothers, finally letting them rest on Sam again.

"Well, uh, could be", Sam said, careful not to encourage Gert. The less she knew, the better.

Gert nodded before she spoke, not once taking her eyes off Sam. He found it very disturbing and it made him feel quite dirty, like a toyboy or something like that. He couldn't wait to have Rika in his arms again so he could shake the uncomfortable feeling he currently had. "Well, you let me know if there's anything else I can do for you", Gert said with a smile.

Sam nodded and in horror he watched as Gert put her hand up and stroked the index finger of his left hand, that he had folded in front of him. It took all of his will-power not to shiver in disgust. Dean noticed the gesture and looked at Sam, shocked. Sam moved his hands, and looked down at Gert, nervously.

"Anything at all", she added with a suggestive smile.

Sam didn't know what else to do but to nod and he knew he must look just as uncomfortable as he was feeling. He noticed Dean hiding his mouth behind his hand, starting to grin in amusement behind his hand and cleared his throat. Gert leaned back in the chair she was sitting in and continued to stare at Sam. He had to get out of there, and that fast.

-------------------------------------

Dean and Sam were walking along the boardwalk next to where ships were docked and Sam quickly looked over at the sea. It was a beautiful, idyllic town by the coast, and he would have loved to take Rika out for a date on the pier, hadn't they been working.

"What a crazy, old broad", Dean suddenly commented.

"Why? Because she believes in ghosts?", Sam said with a crooked smile.

Dean's face instantly lit up in a huge grin, and Sam knew he was about to hear about what had happened back there. "Ha, ha look at you, sticking up for your girlfriend, you cougar hound", he said and slapped Sam playfully on the upper arm.

"Bite me", he deadpanned, wanting to end that conversation.

"Hey, not if she bites you first", Dean retorted with a chuckle. Sam's mind was immediately filled with mental images that indeed included some biting, but Gert wasn't the one doing it. Suddenly he heard a voice he had been longing for all day, while talking to Gert.

"Hey guys!" Rika walked towards them, and Sam couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was wearing a simple, white, cotton t-shirt with a print of the Eiffel tower in black and white underneath a light grey cardigan that she kept unbuttoned. Her light blue, skin tight, washed out jeans clung perfectly to her legs and the white ballerina flats she was wearing completed the outfit. Rika had a huge smile on her face and her long hair was tousled by the wind. The coast suited her. She was completely and truly stunning. When she approached he swept her up into his arms and lifted her up off the ground for a second to steal a kiss from her. She laughed as he put her back down and he once again thought of how much he loved hearing her laugh. Suddenly everything seemed better. He had no intention of letting go of her, instead he kept his arm around her waist and her close to his side as the three of them continued walking together.

"You find anything?", Sam asked of her.

She shook her head. "No, town seems entirely normal aside from the strange drownings. And you two?"

"You've got competition", Dean chuckled.

Rika glanced at Sam, using her eyes to ask him what Dean had meant. "Gert, the old lady we talked to, she kind of came on to me", he explained and felt his cheeks heat up. "Most uncomfortable situation ever."

She laughed again. "That's all?"

"Gert talked about some Alex person. So, who's this Alex? We got another player in town?", Dean continued.

"Maybe, maybe not. Doesn't change our job", Sam said.

"And we're thinking ghost ship, right?", Dean confirmed.

"Yeah, it's not the first one sighted around here, either", Sam replied.

"Really?", Dean said and looked over at Sam, apparently interested.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, every 37 years, like clockwork, reports of a vanishing three-mast clipper ship out in the bay. And every 37 years, a rash of weirdo, dry-land drownings", he explained.

"So, whatever's happening is just getting started", Rika added and looked thoughtful.

"Yeah", Sam deadpanned.

"What's the lore?", Dean asked.

Sam had no chance to start explaining, this time it was Rika's turn. "Basically, there are apparitions of old wrecks sighted all over the world. The S.S. Violet, the Griffin, the Flying Dutchman. Almost all of them are death omens."

"I got to deal with two Sams now?", Dean joked. "She's basically the girl version of you Sammy. So, what happens? You see the ship and then a few hours later, you pucker up and kiss your ass goodbye? "

"Basically", Sam replied and smiled secretly at Dean's comment about Rika being the female version of himself. It was true in many ways, and he loved that about Rika. She was his soulmate in more way than one.

"What's the next step?", Dean continued.

"We gotta I.D. the boat."

"That shouldn't be too hard. I mean, how many three-mast clipper ships have wrecked off the coast?", Dean continued.

Sam laughed sarcastically. "I checked that too, actually. Over 150."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"Crap."

"Mm-hmm..."

Rika suddenly laughed. "You two really should hear yourselves. You do realize that your conversation just turned neanderthal?"

They came up the flight of stairs and walked up to a meter with no car parked next to it. Sam looked around to make sure they had come the same way they went, and Dean went out into the street right into the very spot where the Impala should be parked. Yet, there was nothing.

"This is where we parked the car, right?", Dean asked and turned around to look at his two companions with a really confused look on his face.

Sam frowned. "I thought so."

"Where's my car?", Dean asked, the panic in his voice starting to show through. His comment reminded Rika of the movie ´Dude, where's my car?`, and she had to try really hard to keep herself from laughing. It would've been funny except for the fact that the Impala was actually missing. And knowing Dean, it wasn't going to be funny.

"Did you feed the meter?", Rika asked.

"Yes, I fed the meter. Sam, where's my car? Somebody stole my car!", Dean shouted.

Dean turned back around and walked over to the sidewalk, looking around angrily.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, calm down, Dean--", Sam tried but his brother wouldn't allow him to finish.

Dean tugged at the roots of his hair in frustration. "I am calmed down! Somebody stole my ca--"

He couldn't even finish the sentence. Instead, he bent down with his hands on his knees starting to hyperventilate. Sam, who was still looking for the car, turned around and noticed Dean, immediately rushing over to him, placing a hand on his back, trying to calm him down. "Whoa, Dean, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey take it easy."

Sam grabbed Dean's arm to pull him up. He patted his brother on the back, but it didn't help. Dean was still breathing heavily through his mouth, causing Rika to walk up to the Winchesters and put a comforting arm around Dean's shoulders. Sam gave her a thankful glance before they were interrupted by the voice of a female, with a rather annoying accent. It belonged to someone they had hoped never to meet again.

"The '67 Impala?"

The trio watched as Bela walked up to them, wearing a beige trenchcoat and a huge smirk on her lips. "Was that yours?"

Sam couldn't help but to feel irritated, and he didn't try to hide it. "Bela", he deadpanned, his voice dripping with disbelief.

"I'm sorry, I had that car towed." Bela smirked again and Rika felt the sudden urge to introduce her fist to Bela's face. She settled on glaring daggers at Bela. Payback would be a bitch one day, Rika promised herself. Bela was the most annoying person she'd met in a long time. She even outshone Ruby, and that said a lot.

"You what?!", Dean exclaimed angrily, he too looking like he wanted to punch the British woman in front of him.

Bela tilted her head slightly, looking innocent. "Well, it was in a tow-away zone."

"No, it wasn't!", came Dean's immediate protest.

"It was when I finished with it." Bela smirked, yet again.

"What the hell are you even doing here?", Dean asked, still angry as hell.

Bela shrugged and tried to look nonchalant as she calmly replied to his question. "A little yachting."

Sam figured it out. "You're Alex. You're working with that old lady."

Bela smiled. "Gert's a dear old friend."

"Yeah, right, what's your angle?", Dean retorted sarcastically.

"There's no angle, there's a lot of lovely old women like Gert up and down the eastern seaboard. I sell them charms; perform séances so they can commune with their dead cats", Bela explained.

"And let me guess, it's all a con, none of its real", Dean said with a sarcastic smirk.

Bela smirked back. "The comfort I provide them is very real."

Bela started walking away, but Sam couldn't keep quiet. "How do you sleep at night?", he asked.

Bela turned around, looking back at them. "On silk sheets, rolling naked in money."

Dean raised his eyebrows, apparently not finding the idea of Bela in silk sheets unappealing. Rika frowned with disgust.

"Really, Sam, I'd expect the attitude from him", she said with a nod towards Dean. "But you?"

"You shot me", Sam was quick to reply.

"I barely grazed you."

"It didn't look like that when I had to pull the bullet out of his shoulder", Rika retorted sarcastically, feeling like she had to step in and say something.

Sam looked down, but Bela looked at Dean and spoke with a nod towards Sam. "Cute, but a bit of a drama queen, yeah?"

"You do know what's going on around here. This ghost-ship thing, it is real", Dean said, changing the subject.

"I'm aware. Thanks for telling Gert the case wasn't solved by the way." Her sarcasm was prominent. Rika was happy the brothers had at least managed to mess _something_ up for Bela.

"It isn't", Dean deadpanned.

Bela looked at him with a ´are you stupid or something?` look. "She didn't know that. Now the old bag's stopped payment and she's demanding some real answers. Look, just stay out of my way before you cause any more trouble. And I'd get to that car if I were you, before they find the arsenal in the trunk."

Bela turned and walked away. After a few steps she looked over her shoulder and said "Ciao" in a nonchalant way. The trio left behind looked at her, irritation and anger brewing inside of them.

"Can I shoot her?", Dean suddenly asked.

Sam paused a moment before replying, apparently actually considering letting Dean shoot Bela. Then he shook his head. "Not in public."

Rika grabbed Sam's arm. "Come on guys, let's go get the car. She was right about having to get to it before the cops find the weapons. That wouldn't be easy to explain, would it?"

-------------------------------------


	20. Storm: Red Sky at Morning II

**A/N: **New chapter. :) The party's going be in the next one, and I'm quite excited to write it. I'm not going to let Sam suffer from Gert's groping all night. ;)

-------------------------------------

**Chapter 19 - Storm (Red Sky at Morning II)**

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_How long have I been in this storm?  
So overwhelmed by the ocean's shapeless form  
Water's getting harder to tread  
With these waves crashing over my head_

_If I could just see you  
Everything would be all right  
If I'd see you  
This darkness would turn to light_

_And I will walk on water  
And you will catch me if I fall  
And I will get lost into your eyes  
I know everything will be alright  
I know everything is alright_

_I know you didn't bring me out here to drown  
So why am I ten feet under and upside down  
Barely surviving has become my purpose  
Cause I'm so used to living underneath the surface_

_And I will walk on water  
You will catch me if I fall  
And I will get lost into your eyes  
I know everything will be alright  
I know everthing is alright_

_Everything is alright  
Everything is alright_  
Lifehouse - Storm

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As soon as Rika got out of the Impala outside the Warren house, where the brother of Peter Warren had been another mysterious drowning victim, she got aggravated. Bela was already there, talking to the poor man, basically showing a tape recorder into his face. Sam and Dean didn't look so happy about the fact that she was there either. Rika walked ahead of them towards Bela and Peter Warren, looking forward to messing things up for the annoying Brit.

"No, the police said that he drowned, but I don't u-understand how...", Peter Warren said, struggling against his tears, very apparently upset.

Bela was masking herself in false empathy. "I am so sorry for your loss, Mr. Warren." She didn't hesitate to jump straight to the point. "Now, if you could just tell me one more time about the ship your brother saw."

Rika walked straight up to Bela, pulling out her fake badge. She grabbed Bela's arm, using a bit too much strength `by mistake´ and pulled it away from the man's face. When Bela looked at her, annoyed and shocked, Rika gave her a sarcastic smile. "I think this man's been through quite enough. You should go."

"But I just have a few more questions", Bela argued but was silenced by Sam who walked up to them, glaring at her.

"No, you don't", he deadpanned.

Bela glared back, at both Sam and Rika and also at the approaching Dean. But she could tell she had no choice, and Rika watched as she resigned. Bela turned to Peter. "Thank you for your time."

She turned off her tape recorder and glared at the trio once more before leaving. They looked after her, happy with their accomplishment.

"Sorry you had to deal with that", Dean said, raising his voice slightly so Bela would be able to hear him. "They're like roaches."

Rika looked over her shoulder, noticing that Bela was still glaring at them, but she continued to leave. Rika had a bad feeling about it, and she just knew a plan for revenge was brewing inside of Bela's head at the moment. But they'd have to deal with that later.

Sam put his hand on Peter's shoulder and lead him a few steps back towards the house, before speaking to him with a lowered voice. "So, uh, we heard you say your brother saw a ship."

"That's right", the man confirmed.

"Did he tell you what it looked like?", Dean asked.

Peter looked at Dean while he tried remembering the details. "It was, uh... like the old Yankee clippers. A smuggling vessel, with the rakish topsail, a Barkentine rigging, angel figurehead on the bow."

"That's a lot of detail for a ship your brother saw", Rika said and furrowed her brow, suspecting the worst.

Peter confirmed her suspicion. "My brother and I were night diving, I saw the ship, too."

Rika didn't have a chance to let the information sink in, as she with the help of her slayer hearing could hear Bela talking to a policeman in the distance. "Excuse me, officers, I'm not sure those three are detectives."

Rika managed to catch Sam's attention and he too noticed Bela talking to the policeman. He cleared his throat and nudged Dean with his elbow, and Dean too turned around, seeing Bela. "Uh, all right, well, we'll be in touch", Sam excused them.

"Thank you", Dean said before they hurriedly, but not too hurriedly for it to seem suspicious, walked past Peter, away from the scene.

-------------------------------------

Thump. Thump. Thump. Rika wasn't feeling all that well, and she moved her hands up to massage her head. For the past half hour she had been bugged by a terrible headache and it wasn't getting any better. It was quite strange actually, she didn't have headaches often, probably thanks to her enhanced healing ability. She used to have them sometimes as a kid when she hadn't eaten or drunk enough water, but lately, never. Somehow, she just felt like this was one of those days when she just wanted to crawl into bed and pull the covers up to her chin and just sleep.

Sam and Dean were standing a couple of meters to her right, taking their guns out of the Impala's trunk. They would have to protect Peter Warren from the spirits, otherwise he would be the next drowning victim. Just as the Winchester's were loading the guns, Rika heard footsteps and a voice that she had started to accompany with pure evil. Bela. Exactly what Rika didn't need. "I see you got your car back."

Dean looked over his shoulder and held up his gun suggestively. "Do you really want to come near me when I've got a loaded gun in my hands?"

Bela approached. "Now, now, mind your blood pressure. Why are you even still here? You have enough to I.D. the boat."

"That guy back there saw the ship", Sam said, even though he had no obligation to explain anything to Bela.

He and Dean tossed the loaded guns into the trunk, slammed it shut and turned around to face Bela. Rika couldn't be bothered with the conversation, another macho showdown between the Winchester's and Bela. Instead she leaned back against a street light nearby and shut her eyes for a moment, lightly massaging her temple with her fingertips. At this rate she was going to need a painkiller, something she usually tried to avoid if she could.

"Yeah? And?", came Bela's response.

"And he's going to die, so we have to save him", Sam continued and looked at Bela like she was insane.

"How sweet", Bela retorted and Rika could practically sense her smirk from where she was standing even though she wasn't looking.

"You think this is funny?", Dean asked Bela in disbelief.

"He's cannon fodder. He can't be saved in time, and you know it."

Rika opened her eyes slightly, so she could see what was going on. Dean looked over at Sam and shook his head before both of them turned around and approached the Impala's doors. "Yeah, well, see, we have souls, so we're gonna try", Dean said, his voice dripping with sarcasm once again.

"Well, I'm actually gonna find the ship and put an end to this. But you have fun", Bela interjected.

The Winchester's exchanged another look over the top of the Impala, and Rika heard Sam sigh. Dean turned back around, and walked towards Bela. He just couldn't let it go. Rika sighed just before Dean spoke. "Hey, Bela, how'd you get like this, huh? What, did daddy not give you enough hugs or something?"

"I don't know. Your daddy give you enough?"

Dean just gave her his patented smirk, not dignifying her with a response. Instead he just smiled.

"Don't you dare look down your nose at me, you're not better than I am", Bela said and Rika could hear that Dean was getting on Bela's nerves, finally. She was starting to lose her cool.

"We help people", came Dean's simple response.

"Come on, you do this out of vengeance and obsession. You're a stone's throw from being a serial killer. Whereas I, on the other hand, I get paid to do a job and I do it. So, you tell me -- which is healthier?"

Sam sighed. "Bela, why don't you just leave? We've got work to do."

"Yeah. You're zero for two. Bang-up job so far." Bela was apparently finished and started to walk away. Nothing could have made Rika happier.

Once Bela was gone, the Winchester's finally seemed to notice Rika where she was standing, still leaning against the street light with her eyes closed. She took a deep breath right before she heard Sam call her name.

"Rika? You okay?"

It only took a second for him to be there, by her side, carefully touching her upper arm with his hand. She flickered her eyes open, only to stare into his worried eyes. "Yeah, headache", she replied. "It'll probably get better soon."

"Is there anything I can do?", he asked, his eyes still filled with worry.

She forced out a smile. "Probably not."

He looked at her intently. "Close your eyes."

"What?", she asked in confusion.

"Just close them."

Rika did as he said and soon felt his fingertips on her temples. He massaged her head gently, and she could feel herself relax under his touch as he made circling patterns with his fingertips. All of the tension she had been feeling was quickly running out of her body, and she sighed when she felt his warm breath against her face as he moved closer. He moved his hands to the back of her neck where he buried his fingertips in her hair, massaging there as well. The headache was slowly going away. She sighed again when he pressed a soft kiss against her forehead before moving downward along her temple and her cheek before he reached her mouth and he kissed her there as well.

When he stopped she opened her eyes and looked into his eyes. "Better?", he asked with a half-smile.

"Yeah", she smiled back and then they walked together to the Impala, where Dean was already waiting for them, impatiently as usual.

-------------------------------------

Rika gazed up towards the second story of the Warren house, and she saw the shape of Peter Warren moving a box from one room to another. She and the Winchester's were sitting outside in the Impala that Dean had parked in the street outside the house, waiting for something to go down.

Sam looked up from the file he was holding. He had been digging into the Warren brothers, trying to find out why the ghosts wanted them dead.

Dean took a sip out of his cup of coffee and looked at his brother. "Anything good?"

"No, not really, I mean, both brothers are Duke University grads. No criminal record, I mean, a few speeding tickets. They inherited their father's real estate fortune six years ago", Sam replied as he scimmed through the papers.

"How much?", Dean asked. Of course he'd be interested in that, when money was involved.

Sam looked over at his brother with a smile. "112 million dollars."

Dean whistled. "Nice life."

"Yeah, I mean, nice, clean, above board. So, why did they see the ship? Why Sheila, too? What do they all have in common?", Sam tried to reason.

"Maybe nothing", Rika suggested. "What if it's completely random?"

Sam looked at her through the rearview mirror and shook his head. "No, there's always something."

"Oh oh", Rika said as she looked out the window and noticed Peter Warren approaching the Impala with angry steps as he walked across the front driveway.

"Hey, you!", he called out.

Dean looked at Sam and Rika. "I think we've been made."

All three of them got out of the car to meet Peter. He was standing at the gate to his house, looking aggravated. "What are you guys doing? You watching me?"

"Sir, calm down, please", Sam tried softly as they walked up to Peter.

"You guys aren't cops! Not dressed like that. Not -- not in that crappy car."

Dean looked offended. "Whoa, hey. No need to get nasty."

Sam reached out his hands with his palms outwards, in a sign of surrender. "Look, we are cops, okay? We're undercover, we're here because we think you're in danger."

Peter looked at the trio in disbelief. "From who?"

"If you just settle down, we'll talk about it", Rika pleaded, trying to calm the man down. She had a feeling he was about to do something rash if they didn't manage to convince him.

"Look, you guys just stay away from me!", Peter said, his face red with anger. He turned around and started walking towards his car.

"Wait", Sam pleaded, but it had the opposite effect and Peter started running when he heard it and got into his car.

"Hey, you moron, we're trying to help you!", Dean yelled.

Either Peter couldn't hear Dean or he chose to ignore it, and soon they heard the engine start. Peter took off down the driveway, but before he got anywhere, the car died. The air around them suddenly chilled down, and all three of them knew what that meant.

"That can't be good", Dean said and furrowed his brow.

"No, get the salt gun", Sam replied as his eyes widened.

Dean reacted and turned around, running towards the car as fast as he could. Sam moved for the gate, trying to get it open so he could get to Peter. Rika had no time to wait so she took a few steps backwards before she ran towards the gate and used her hand as leverage to leap over it. In the distance she heard Sam yelling and Dean slamming the trunk shut, but Rika was completely concentrated on getting to Peter on time.

"Peter!", she yelled as she made her way to the driver's side of the car and knocked on the window. She looked inside the window, and saw Peter, slumped against the steering wheel soaking wet. She didn't even realize that Sam was suddenly at her side, he had apparently made his way through the gate. Instead, she was busy looking at the ghost in the passenger seat. He was pale, with long messy hair, dirty and dripping with water, dressed in old-fashioned clothing. Dean made it to the passenger's side of the car, the shotgun loaded with salt in his hands.

"Rika, Sam!", Dean yelled and they both moved over, allowing for Dean to shoot through the car window and the man in the passenger's seat disappeared into thin air. Rika busted the car door open, and Sam reached his hands out in order to try to find Peter's pulse. But Rika knew that they were too late, she had known the instant she looked through that window. Dean reached his hand through the broken window on the passenger's side in order to unlock it.

Rika had been right about Peter. Sam looked up at her and shook his head when he couldn't find a pulse. Peter was dead. Sam sighed and looked at his brother, who just slammed his hand against the inside of the passenger's door in frustration. Rika looked down into the ground, sad that they hadn't been able to get to the poor guy in time. The one's she couldn't save... they still got to her, even though she had been the slayer for so many years now.

-------------------------------------

"_What started as a mild chance of breezy night is changing rapidly._" The man on the radio was doing the weather forecast, and Rika looked out the Impala's window as they speeded down the road. The rain was pouring down against the window, matching her gloomy mood.

The Winchester boys in the front seat didn't exactly seem satisfied with how things had turned out either.

"_As a severe weather front is heading in from the northwest. Expect heavy lightning and thunder with sudden rainfall--_" The man on the radio was interrupted in mid-sentence as Dean suddenly turned the radio off. Dean leaned back in his chair and Rika watched as he shared a look with his brother.

"Do you want to say it, or should I?", Dean said and looked back at the road.

Sam shook his head and looked slightly confused. "What?"

"You can't save everybody, Sam", Dean deadpanned.

Sam furrowed his brow, and Rika could hear the frustration in his reply. "Yeah, right. So -- so, what? You feel better now or what?"

"No, not really." Dean's response was short.

"Me neither."

"You got to understand--", Dean begun but was interrupted by Sam as they shared another look.

"It's just lately I feel like I can't save anybody." Rika watched as Sam shook his head in disappointment. Dean looked at his brother and then back at the road once more before he too shook his head. Sam just stared out the passenger seat window, looking really defeated. This case was affecting all three of them more than Rika had imagined. Rika knew Sam was relating what had happened to Peter to what was going to happen to Dean, which was why he was more affected by all of it than usual. She wished there was something she could do to comfort him. But truth was, she was about as disappointed as the Winchester's were.

-------------------------------------

The trio had decided not to get a motel room during their stay in the little town. They had found a perfect house, abandoned but complete with furniture, on the outskirts of town, and it was perfect. They had more space than usual to say the least. Besides, with their limited budget getting something for free was always nice. Rika walked into the room that was supposed to be the living room. Sam was sitting at a table in front of the fireplace, the table being completely covered in books. Sam was reading one of them and it brought a smile to Rika's face. She secretly loved watching him when he was in geek mode, and it was something she loved about him.

Dean, on the other hand, was sitting in a chair by a coffee table with his foot on the table, looking at his phone. Before Rika could address the boys there was a light knock on the door. Sam looked up in surprise and Dean grabbed a gun and got up to answer it. He looked through the peep hole and the looked back at Sam. Sam was hiding a gun underneath the table, ready for whatever was out there. Although, Rika already had an idea of who it might be, in which case guns would be of no use. Dean unlocked the door with a sigh and Bela walked inside.

"Dear god... are you actually squatting?", she said with a smirk as she crossed the room. None of them dignified her with a response as all three of them glared at Bela.

"Charming, so, how did things go last night with Peter?" Bela stopped right in front of Rika and looked into her eyes intently. Rika just glared at her with her arms crossed on her chest and without blinking.

Sam and Dean were giving her the same silent treatment and Bela turned around as Dean approached her from the behind. "That well, huh?", she said and looked from Sam to Dean to Rika.

"If you say `I told you so´, I swear to god, I'll start swinging", came Dean's response.

"Look, I think the four of us should have a heart-to-heart", Bela said and turned her attention towards Rika again. Rika could sense the fact that the brunette was apparently a bit intimidated by her. Bela knew of Rika's strength and her way with words, but she still hadn't figured out who Rika actually was and damn it if that didn't annoy her.

"That's assuming you have a heart", Rika said with a small smirk at Bela.

"Rika, please", Bela said and looked at her with smirk.

Rika just ignored the woman and walked up to Sam, sitting down in his lap. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist. Dean crossed the floor and sat down on the chair next to the one Sam and Rika were sitting in as the three of them continued glaring at the brunette in front of them, the same one they desperately wanted out of their way.

"I'm sorry about what I said before, okay? I come bearing gifts", Bela said, her expression softening a bit. Rika didn't trust her though, there was something about the woman she couldn't quite put her finger on. Only thing she knew was that Bela wasn't to be trusted, she was bound to stab them in the back sooner or later.

"Such as?", Sam said and pulled Rika closer. Rika could hear him take a deep breath, and she knew it was to inhale her scent. He always did that when he felt like he needed to relax or calm his nerves. And she was happy that she was able to affect him in that way.

"I've I.D.'ed the ship", Bela said, looking incredibly proud of herself.

The trio looked at each other, angry and disappointed at the fact that they hadn't managed to figure it out before her. Bela took out a picture out of the folder she had in her hands as she came in and handed it to Dean. "It's the Espirito Santo, a merchant sailing vessel. Quite a colorful history, in 1859, a sailor was accused of treason. He was tried aboard ship in a kangaroo court and hanged, he was 37."

"Which would explain the 37-year cycle?", Sam suggested.

Bela smirked. "Aren't you a sharp tack?"

She searched her folder. "There's a photo of him somewhere... here."

Bela handed the photo to Dean who snatched it from her. He looked at it before looking at Sam and Rika, showing them the photo. "Isn't that the customer we saw last night?"

The photo was of a sailor standing on the deck of a boat next to the mast. Rika immediately recognized the man as the ghost from the night before.

Bela's eyes widened. "You saw him?"

"Yeah, that's him, except he was missing a hand", Dean said and studied the photo once more before looking up at Bela.

"His right hand", she deadpanned.

"How did you know?", Sam asked.

"The sailor's body was cremated, but not before they cut off his hand to make a Hand of Glory."

"A Hand of Glory? I think I got one of those at the end of my Thai massage last week", Dean joked. He smiled and looked incredibly smug, but as Bela rolled her eyes at him he stopped smiling.

"The right hand of a hanged man is a serious occult object. It's very powerful", Rika explained.

"So they say." Bela looked at Rika as she spoke.

Dean smirked. "And officially counts as remains."

"But still none of this explains why the ghost is choosing these victims", Sam interjected and looked at his brother.

"I'll tell you why. Who cares? Find the hand, burn it, and stop the bloody thing", Bela said and glared at them.

Dean looked at her suspiciously, which Rika figured he was probably right to do. "I don't get it. Why are you telling us all this?"

"Because I know exactly where the hand is", Bela replied with a smirk.

"Where?", Rika asked.

"At the Sea Pines Museum, as a macabre bit of maritime history. But I need help", Bela explained.

"What kind of help?", Sam asked and looked at Bela. She smiled at Sam and Dean, looking slightly suggestive, and Rika had an idea where the conversation was going.

-------------------------------------


	21. You and Me: Red Sky at Morning III

-------------------------------------

**Chapter 20 – You And Me (Red Sky at Morning III)**

-------------------------------------

_What day is it? And in what month?  
This clock never seemed so alive  
I can't keep up and I can't back down  
I've been losing so much time_

_'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do  
Nothing to lose  
And it's you and me and all other people  
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you_

_One of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right  
I'm tripping on words  
You've got my head spinning  
I don't know where to go from here_

_There's something about you now  
I can't quite figure out  
Everything she does is beautiful  
Everything she does is right_

_'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do  
Nothing to lose  
And it's you and me and all other people  
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you  
and me and all other people with nothing to do  
Nothing to prove  
And it's you and me and all other people  
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you_

_What day is it?  
And in what month?  
This clock never seemed so alive_  
Lifehouse – You And Me

-------------------------------------

Rika sighed as she was laying on the bed she and Sam were sharing in the house they were squatting. The others would be at the party at the museum by now. There had been no place for Rika to go along, as Gert had only gotten tickets for Bela and Dean and her own date – Sam. At first, Sam had refused to go along if Rika couldn't come, but she had argued and told him to go ahead. Gert wasn't exactly considerable competition, and somebody had to keep an eye on Dean and Bela, otherwise nobody knew what might happen.

However, Rika was slightly bummed at the fact that she hadn't gone with them. She had no intention of sitting cooked up alone in the abandoned house all night long. It was in that moment she decided not to let Bela take charge. Damn it, she was going to crash that party.

Rika got out of bed and walked to one of her duffels and searched for a moment. Then she found what she was looking for.

-------------------------------------

Sam was literally having one of the worst nights in his life. He was forced to entertain Gert and dance with her. The worst part was the fact that she had been groping him all night long, and it was really uncomfortable and embarrassing. Currently they were dancing in the main ballroom, and Gert ran her hand down his shoulder. He would much rather have been dancing with Rika, had she done what Gert was doing things would have been different. Now he was just disgusted and repulsed, feeling like he was about to throw up.

"Where are Alex and your friend? They're missing a great party", Gert said and looked at him.

"Um... I'm, uh, I'm sure they're entertaining themselves." He forced out an reply.

Gert got that twinkle in her eye again and stared at him intently. It made him even more uncomfortable. "Ooh, naughty. Then I guess we'll just have to entertain ourselves, as well."

In horror he felt as her hand slid down his back onto his butt where she grabbed him, making him jump forward slightly in surprise. "Oh, ahh... ha, y-you know, um, Mrs. Case I--"

She shook her head. "Oh, oh no."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Case, I- I don't want to give you the wrong idea."

"Call me Gert", came her response.

"Okay", he replied as she placed her hand on his chest.

"You remind me of my late husband."

Sam took his hand out of hers and checked his watch over her shoulder. How much longer would he have to deal with this torture?

"He was shy, too, 'til we got below deck."

She made another grab at his butt, this time completely unexpectedly. "Whoa!", he exclaimed.

Then he cleared his throat, and looked around trying to make sure he didn't draw attention to himself, nodding at the other couples. He was worried about what other people might think about him and his "date". He reached down and held her hand again, but she just moved forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, sliding them over his chest and shoulders as she went. "Mm, you're just firm all over."

She leaned back in and rested her head on his chest again. Sam looked around, still feeling very uncomfortable, but she just sighed and giggled.

"Man, this is one long song", he interjected.

"I hope it never ends."

He swallowed hard, trying his best to keep his cool, but she took no notice of the fact that he so apparently didn't want to be there. Instead she just snuggled herself closer to him. Suddenly he noticed that somebody tapped on Gert's shoulder. Surprised she took a step back from him and looked at the person behind her. And Sam was speechless as he noticed who it was.

It was Rika, and she was so beautiful she took his breath away. She was wearing a silver coloured strapless dress, tight around the torso and expanding into a skirt that ended just below her knees, with tulle underneath. The dress was decorated with flowers in black going down her side, beginning at her breast. She wore her hair down but she had curled it, so it fell softly down her shoulders. She wore her silver cross necklace as usual, but had matched it with silver coloured pearl earrings and a matching bracelet.

He couldn't take his eyes off of her and then she spoke to Gert. "I'm sorry, but can I borrow him for a moment? I promise I'll bring him back unharmed."

Sam couldn't help but to smile slightly when he saw Gert's surprised and very threatened look. She stammered when she replied. "W-well, I guess."

"Thanks", Rika said with another smiled and then she ignored Gert, walking up to Sam. She gave him that smile that always made him go weak in his knees. He smiled back at her and looked into her beautiful eyes as she put her hand on his shoulder. He put his on the small of her back and took the other in his hand. He pulled her as close as he possibly could and inhaled her scent. She felt so incredibly good in his arms, against his body. Suddenly, it was like the rest of the people in the room faded away, and all he saw was her.

"How did you get in without an invitation?", he asked her.

She gave him a mischievous smile. "I snook in. I figured you'd need a break from Gropenstein's monster over there."

Sam laughed as they swayed to the music. Suddenly everything felt better and he completely forgot the hell he'd been through the past hours. "I'm happy you came."

They danced for a while, and she leaned her head against his shoulder. He gave out a content sigh and she looked back up at him. When she looked over his shoulder she saw Gert glaring at the two of them from a few meters away. Rika laughed. "If looks could kill I'd be stone dead by now."

Sam chuckled when they turned around and he too noticed Gert glaring angrily at Rika.

"Well, if she's going to glare, we might as well give her something to glare at", Rika said and leaned in closer. And then she kissed him, right there on the dance floor. The moment when their lips met it sent delicious tingles through his entire body.

Suddenly, their moment was interrupted by Gert and one of the security guards. Reluctantly Sam let Rika pull away from him. "I'm sorry miss", the security guard said to Rika. "But I was told you don't have an invitation."

Sam was about to open his mouth and protest, but Rika hushed him. "It's okay, I'll leave."

The security guard placed a hand on her back to lead her towards the exit, but before she followed him she turned around and quickly kissed Sam again, this time on the cheek. Before she pulled away she whispered in his ear. "I'll wait for you guys back at the house." And then she willingly went with the security guard. When Gert grabbed Sam again looking happier and smug, and they were dancing again, it didn't matter. The fact that Gert was groping and coming on to him suddenly didn't bother him. Rika's kiss still burned on his lips and it made the evening so much better.

-------------------------------------

Later, when Sam and Dean finally got into the Impala, he undid his bowtie.

"You got it, right? Tell me I didn't get groped all night by Mrs. Haversham for nothing", Sam said and glared at his brother. However, the night hadn't been an entire bust, he had figured out what the victims had had in common, thanks to Gert.

"I got it. Mrs. who?"

Sam tried his best not to roll his eyes since his brother yet again didn't get the reference to literature. "Never mind, just let me see it."

Dean pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and looked at it funnily before unwrapping it. Sam noticed the fast movement his brother made. "What?"

When Dean finished unwrapping it, he held up a small bottle with a clipper ship inside. Sam looked at it, it was obviously not the hand. His eyes widened in shock as he understood what must have happened and he shared a look with his brother.

Dean growled in frustration. "I'm gonna kill her."

-------------------------------------

Sam walked ahead of Dean through the door as they got back to the house. There was no electricity attached to the house since it was abandoned, and they had used candles to shed light on the place. The house was completely quiet as Sam and Dean entered, and he softly called Rika's name. There was no answer, and Sam's heart skipped a beat. Hadn't she gotten back okay?

Dean gave him a confused look and went upstairs to check if she'd be there. Sam on the other hand walked into the living room, and when he did it brought a smile to his face. Rika had fallen asleep laying on the couch. She had removed her shoes, but she was still wearing the dress that had made him speechless. Her feet and legs were bare, and she had pulled her knees up against her chest in a semi-fetal position. Her hair was draped over one of her shoulders, and she looked so peaceful he almost didn't want to disturb her. And in the candlelight Sam couldn't help but to think that she looked absolutely... Well, there was no word to describe it, but the fact that he couldn't bring himself to take his eyes off of her pretty much explained it.

Sam walked up to her and carefully sat down on the couch in the empty space right next to her thighs. He reached out his hand and carefully ran the back of his fingers down her cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. He continued the movement down her jaw, neck and exposed shoulder, feeling the softness of her skin on his fingertips. She flickered her eyes open and looked at him for a moment before she gave him a drowzy smile. "Hey", she said, her voice still a bit husky from sleep.

"Hey", he replied and smiled as she pulled herself up, keeping herself up with the help of her arm supported by her palm against the couch.

"Did you get it?", she asked and cleared her throat.

"Yeah, but Bela managed to steal from Dean without him noticing it."

She sighed. "Great."

"Tell me about it. But at least we managed to come up with a connection between the victims."

---

Rika put the back of her hand against her mouth as she yawned. She had fallen asleep on the couch after gettting back from the party while she was waiting for the Winchester's, and she had been woken by Sam. All three of them had gotten changed into something more casual, and they were staying up to try to figure out what to do next since Bela had managed to swipe the Hand of Glory from them. Dean was holding the bottle, looking at it in the light from the fireplace. "You know what? You're right, I'm not gonna kill her. I think slow torture's the way to go."

Dean walked away from the mantle, leaving the bottle behind. Sam closed the folder he was looking at and turned to Dean. "Dean, look, you got to relax."

"Relax?! Oh, yeah, yeah, I'll relax. I can't believe she got another one over on us!"

Rika's eyes shot from Dean to Sam as Sam spoke a single word. "You."

Dean turned around to face Sam and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I- me- I mean, she got one over on you, not us."

"Thank you, Sam! That's very helpful!", came Dean's aggravated response.

He didn't get a chance to say anything else before there was a loud knock on the door, immediately followed by Bela's voice. "Hello, could you open up?"

Dean looked at both Rika and Sam in disbelief and crossed to the door. Sam followed closely behind as he tossed the folder he had been holding onto the table. Dean pulled the door open giving Bela his angriest stare. Sam slammed one of his hands against the other door and he too glared at Bela angrily. Rika let her expression stay blank and just looked at Bela with obvious disgust.

Bela looked nervous. "Just let me explain. I sold it."

-------------------------------------

"I had a buyer lined up as soon as I knew it existed", Bela explained as she was sitting on one of the chairs. Dean was leaning over her with his hands on the back of the chair.

He looke up at Sam and Rika who were standing next to each other, leaning against the mantel above the fireplace with their arms crossed. Dean pushed himself off the chair and table and walked behind Bela, miming a gun in his hand and pretended to shoot her. Rika barely managed to keep herself from laughing. She would have if it wasn't for the seriousness of the situation.

"So, the whole reason for us going to the charity ball was...?", Sam asked, waiting for an explanation.

"I needed a cover, you were convenient", she explained and looked at Sam and Rika.

"Look, you sold it to a buyer, just go buy it back", Sam suggested.

Bela shook her head. "It's halfway across the ocean, I can't get it back in time."

"In time for what?", Rika asked, trying to scan Bela's face.

Bela lowered her eyes and looked slightly afraid. She couldn't exactly keep up her usual cold stone face.

"What's going on with you, Bela? You look like you've seen a ghost", Sam said, and Rika noticed he was getting frustrated.

Rika's eyes widened in shock as Bela replied. "I saw the ship."

"You what?", Dean asked, but Bela just sat there as the three others exchanged looks.

Dean walked around the table to stand in front of Bela as he spoke. "Huh, wow, you know, I knew you were an immoral, thieving, con-artist bitch, but just when I thought my opinion of you couldn't get any lower..."

Bela looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"We figured out the spirit's motive", Sam said and tilted his head slightly.

He reached into the folder and pulled out an old photo and showed it to Bela. "This is the captain of our ship, the one who hung our ghost boy."

"So?", Bela asked with a slight shake of her head, still not figuring out what they were saying.

Sam tossed the photo onto the table in front of Bela. "So, they were brothers, very Cain and Abel. So, now our spirit, he's going after a very specific kind of target. People who've spilled their own family's blood. See, first, there was Sheila, who killed her cousin in a car accident, and the Warren brothers, who murdered their father for the inheritance, and now you."

"Oh, my god." Bela looked gobsmacked.

Rika felt the need to speak. She never could have imagined that Bela was hiding a secret this big, even with the way she had been acting. "So, who was it Bela? Who'd you kill? Your mom? Dad? Maybe a sibling?"

Bela looked pissed off. "It's none of your business."

"No, right. Well, have a nice life. You know, whatever's left of it", Dean said and patted her on the back. He went to pack his stuff and waved over his shoulder at Sam and Rika. "Sam, Rika, let's go."

Bela got up from the table, looking more afraid than ever. "You can't just leave me here."

Dean gave her his trademark smirk. "Watch us."

"Please, I need your help", Bela pleaded.

"What do you expect Bela?", Rika asked. "Give us one good reason why we even should be listening to your right now? You've stabbed us in the back every chance you've got."

"Our help?" Dean stopped packing and walked back to Bela with his hands out. "Well, now, how could a few serial killers possibly help you?"

Bela looked like she relented. "Okay, that was a bit harsh, I admit it, but it doesn't warrant a death sentence."

Sam looked over at her, his eyes still shocked. Rika couldn't exactly believe Bela either. She showed no remorse whatsoever and after all the things she had done she still expected them to help her without as much as an explanation. "That's not why you're gonna die. What did you do, Bela?"

"You wouldn't understand, no one did!", she exclaimed. All four of them looked at each other for a moment, neither of the sides showing signs of giving up on the matter.

Bela shook her head. "Never mind, I'll just do what I've always done. I'll deal with it myself." She turned around and started to leave.

"You do realize you just sold the only thing that could save your life", Rika said and walked towards Bela who turned around.

"I'm aware."

Sam sighed and seemed to be resigning. "Well... Maybe not the only thing."

-------------------------------------

"Do you really think this is going to work?", Bela asked nervously as Sam and Rika were setting up the ritual. He had already drawn a pentagram on one of the headstones, and Rika was lighting candles on all five points of the pentagram. Sam went to pour a liquid into a bowl, and finally put a lock of hair in the middle of the pentagram. He and Rika then backed away from it and looked at Dean and Bela who were leaning against two headstones, Dean holding the salt gun in his hand. Rika looked up at the clear sky. It was really light even though it was in the middle of the night, thanks to the full moon and the stars in the sky. She sighed in the chilly weather.

"Almost definitely not", Dean deadpanned.

They suddenly heard the sound of thunder and some clouds blew to cover the full moon as the rain startsed to come down. Sam zipped up his jacket and Dean stood up against Bela who was already standing. He looked around the cemetery and then shared a look with his brother. "Sammy, you better start reading."

"_Aziel, Castiel, Lameniel, Raboc, Erly et Belam ego vos coniuro per deum verum, per deum vivum--_", Sam chanted as he read from the book he was holding. The ghost summoning ritual. The candles blew out, but he continued chanting. Rika couldn't make out the words as the wind was blowing so loudly. She pulled her jacket tighter around her, starting a chant of her own. She was going to attempt putting up a magical shield around Sam in order for him to be able to finish the ritual without too much difficulties.

"Stay close!", she faintly heard Dean yell at Bela.

"_Saepio impedimentum!_", Rika said and the barrier got up around Sam, keeping him safe from rain and spirits, just as the ghost appeared over Dean's shoulder. Bela saw him and yelled, making Rika turn her head to see what was going on.

"Behind you!"

Rika had to turn back to look at Sam to maintain her focus. The spell took a lot of mojo and she felt she was already getting tired. In the background she could faintly hear how Dean tried to shoot the ghost. She heard a stone grumble as the shotgunblast hit it. She could hear Bela coughing up water and Dean screaming. "Sammy, read faster!"

Sam managed to finish the incantation and the clouds parted and the rain stopped. Rika collapsed on the ground unable to keep up the barrier any longer, completely worn out and exhausted by the spell, and instantly she felt Sam at her side, kneeling next to her as he pulled her into his arms. She heard his quiet whisper as he held her. "Rika..."

Both of them looked at the ghost turning around, seeing the ghost of the captain, his brother, behind him. "You... hanged me!", the ghost screamed in anger, completely oblivious to the four very much alive people nearby. Bela was still drowning, Dean kneeling by her side in almost the same position as his brother next to Rika.

"I'm sorry."

"Your own brother!"

"I'm so sorry.

The ghost lunged at his brother and they both disappear in a splash of water. Bela stopped drowning, instead she coughed up a bit of water and sobbed against the ground.

Sam looked at her with worried eyes. "You okay? What was that thing you did?"

"I'll be okay in a minute. It was a spell, magical shield", she explained, finding it difficult to speak as she was still completely drained. "Keeping it up isn't exactly easy", she said with a small sarcastic laugh. She was starting to get a bit cold, as she had almost no strength left and she was soaking wet since she had only managed to shield Sam and not herself. He got up to a standing position just as he lifted her up into his arms and carried her towards the Impala. Normally she would have argued since she didn't like being the damsel in distress, but this time she was just too tired. Bela leaned against Dean as they too walked towards the car. Rika felt like she could sleep for hours, and all she wanted was to pull the covers over her head.  
**  
**-------------------------------------

Rika folded the dress she had worn the night before and put it in her duffel, which she then zipped up as she was done packing. The Winchester's were still packing up their belongings.

"You people should learn to lock your doors. Anyone could just barge in." Bela was standing behind them, right in front of the door and looked smug.

Sam turned around "Anyone just did. You come to say goodbye or thank you?"

Bela gave them a half-smile. "I've come to settle affairs." She reached into her bag and took out three bound wads of money. "Giving the spirit what he really wanted; his own brother, very clever, Sam. So, here."

She tossed each of them a wad of money. "It's ten thousand dollars, that should cover it."

The three of them continued to look at her in disbelief with a blank facial expression. "I don't like being in anyone's debt", she elaborated.

"So, ponying up 10 grand is easier for you than a simple 'thank you'? You're so damaged", Dean retorted sarcastically.

Bela smirked. "Takes one to know one. Goodbye, lads and lasses." Then she walked out the door without looking back.

"She got style, you gotta give her that", Sam said.

"I suppose", Dean said with a shrug.

"Personally, I hope I never see her again", Rika said and looked at both brothers.

Sam looked thoughtful. "You know, we don't know where this money's been."

"No", Dean said and snatched the wad of cash from Sam's hand. "But I know where it's going."

He walked past Sam, patted him on the chest and laughed. Rika and Sam were left looking at each other in confusion.

-------------------------------------

Gambling. That was Dean's big plan with the money they had gotten from Bela. Rika should've known. It was so typically Dean. Hustling, women, alcohol. Of course he wanted to go to Atlantic City. Another one of his stupid, dying wishes.

"Seriously? Atlantic City?", Sam asked as he was reading the map he was holding with the help of a flashlight as night already had fallen.

"Hell yeah. Play some roulette, always bet on black", Dean deadpanned.

He waited for a moment and sighed before he continued. "Hey, listen. I've been doing some thinking, and, um, I want you to know I understand why you did it. I understand why you killed the crossroads demon. You know, if the situation was reversed, I guess I'd have done the same thing. I mean, I'm not blind. I see what you're going through with this whole deal, me going away and all that. But you're gonna be okay."

Sam looked at his brother in disbelief, his eyes filled with sadness. "You think so?", he bit out, his jaw clenched and tense.

Yeah, you'll keep hunting. You know, you'll live your life. You're stronger than me, you are. You are, you'll get over it. And you have Rika here with you, she'll be there for you and help you get over it. But I want you to know I'm sorry. I'm sorry for putting you through all this, I am."

Sam looked pissed off when he replied, this time with a raised voice. "You know what, Dean? Go screw yourself."

Rika had never seen Sam use that tone before, not even with Dean during all of their bickering. And it frightened her a bit, she had to admit that.

Dean looked over at Sam. "What?"

"I don't want an apology from you. And by the way, I'm a big boy now, I can take care of myself."

"Oh, well, excuse me", Dean retorted, hurt residing in his voice.

So would you please quit worrying about me? That's the whole problem in the first place! I don't want you to worry about me, Dean. I want you to worry about you, I want you to give a crap that you're dying!"

Dean remained silent and stared at the road with deep concentration. Rika noticed a small smile twisting on his lips as he drove.

"So, that's it? Nothing else to say for you?", Sam asked and scanned his brother.

Dean was quick to change the subject, marking out that he was indeed done talking about his deal. "I think maybe I'll play craps."

Sam just looked at him for a moment, as he couldn't believe Dean yet again tried weaseling out of the talk they were bound to have sooner or later. He sighed and stared blankly out the window. Rika felt the need to comfort him, so she reached her hand past the front seat at the door and touched Sam's hand carefully. He tightened his grip on her hand, squeezing it tightly. Rika felt him relax slightly as he leaned back against the seat.

-------------------------------------

**A/N: **The spell Rika use was something I borrowed from the episode "Showtime" on BtVS season 7 where Willow puts up a barrier to protect everyone from the übervamps.


	22. I Don't Want To Miss A Thing

**A/N: **Lovey-dovey, highly emotional and lemony chapter. Skip it if you're not comfortable with stuff like that. :)

After this, I'm writing a case of my own in the next few chapters before continuing with Fresh Blood. Hope you enjoy. :) Sorry for the late update, those of you who actually read this. :P

Also, I found the most awesome website EVER: www(dot)jaredpadaleckisass(dot)com. Check it out!

Right now, I'm so depressed about the new season of Supernatural. I hate the fact that they split the brothers up and I hate the fact that it's probably going to be Sam vs Dean at some point in a vessel to vessel combat. The only good thing so far is that there's more Castiel action, gotta love Misha. I miss the good old days when they were hunting things and helping people. Now it's just bullcrap. :( I'd just want Sam and Dean to be together as brothers again. I hope Kripke'll give them a happy ending and that he DOESN'T kill them off.

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**Chapter 21 – I Don't Want To Miss A Thing**

-------------------------------------

_I could stay awake just to hear you breathing  
Watch you smile while you are sleeping  
While you're far away dreaming  
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender  
I could stay lost in this moment forever  
Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure_

_Lying close to you feeling your heart beating  
And I'm wondering what you're dreaming  
Wondering if it's me you're seeing  
Then I kiss your eyes  
And thank God were together  
I just want to stay with you in this moment forever  
Forever and ever_

_I don't want to miss one smile  
I don't want to miss one kiss  
I just want to be with you  
Right here with you, just like this  
I just want to hold you close  
Feel your heart so close to mine  
And just stay here in this moment  
For all the rest of time_

_Don't want to close my eyes  
I don't want to fall asleep  
Cause I'd miss you baby  
And I don't want to miss a thing  
Cause even when I dream of you  
The sweetest dream will never do  
I'd still miss you baby  
And I don't want to miss a thing_  
Aerosmith – I Don't Want To Miss A Thing

-------------------------------------

The clock was ticking in the background, the only sign in the moment revealing that time wasn't standing still. It was in the early morning hours as Sam was laying awake, watching Rika sleep. Dean had texted him a bit after midnight, letting him know that he was with a girl he'd picked up at a bar and that he'd be back in the morning. Sam had barely managed to catch some shut-eye, his mind kept racing too much for him to be able to concentrate on sleeping.

After a few hours of laying awake he had decided to contentrate on the woman sleeping in his arms instead. He was fascinated by her when she was asleep, how her chest was rising and sinking slowly, her beauty and the hypnotic sound of her calm, rhythmic breathing. If he listened really carefully, he could hear her heart beating, the thumping calming him down slightly. Sometimes she'd mumble something, sometimes she'd shift positions and sometimes she'd have this little smile on her lips. He couldn't help but to wonder what she was dreaming about, if it was him she was seeing when she fell asleep.

He smiled as he thought about her. She was his girlfriend, his lover and his best friend in addition to Dean. After Jessica died Sam had thought he'd never love again or find anyone that could make him happy. All he had been able to think about was Jessica and that she had died, leaving him alone for the rest of his life.

But then he met Rika, and his world was bright again. There had been obstacles along the way, but he loved her with all of his heart. He loved the fact that she was someone he could have intelligent conversations with, acting as a balance to Dean. He just knew that she'd always be there for him if he needed her and that he could talk to her about anything. He didn't like like to admit it, but she probably understood him better than Dean did. They were alike in many ways, both of them forced a destiny they had no control over, him with the yellow-eyed demon's plans for him and her being the slayer. He could be himself around her and she loved him back unconditionally. With everything that was happening with Dean making his deal, she was probably the only thing keeping him at least half-sane.

The feelings he had for her were so strong they almost scared him. It felt like he was falling more and more in love with her every day that passed. Even if they were apart only for a little while he missed her so much it almost hurt. He could barely keep his hands or his lips away from her when they were near each other. Waking up with her in his arms, tangled together, was usually the highlight of his day. And he loved those times Dean wasn't there and he could make love to her in the mornings, first thing either of them did after waking up.

Had things been different, their lives been different, he wouldn't have hesitated for a moment to get down on one knee and ask her to marry him. He would have given anything to be the father of her children. Sam had pictured them many times, a little boy that was a copy of himself but with Rika's eyes, always her eyes, and a little blonde girl, a copy of her. But with their lifestyle it wasn't possible. All he knew was that he couldn't picture life without her anymore.

Sam reached his hand out and tucked a strand of her hair that had fallen in her face behind her ear. He felt the warmth of her cheek when his fingers accidentally brushed softly against her face. He couldn't resist leaning in and pressed a soft kiss against her neck and another on her shoulder that was exposed under the white tank top she was wearing.

It caused her to stir a bit and she flickered her eyes open. She blinked a couple of times before her eyes adjusted to the dark room around.

"Sam?", she mumbled drowsily, looking slightly confused. "What're you doing?"

Feeling bad about waking her up, he spoke with his softest voice. "Hey... Nothing honey." He kissed her forehead. "Just go back to sleep. Sorry I woke you."

He ran his hand along her hair and down her neck, trying to calm her back down and get her to fall back asleep. It didn't work, instead she shifted slightly and looked around, noticing the empty bed. "What time is it? Where's Dean?"

Sam took a glance at the digital clock on the nightstand. "5.30. Dean's with some girl."

She reached her hand out to touch his cheek. "Why are you awake? You okay?", she asked and looked slightly worried.

He nodded reassuringly. "Yeah, I was just thinking."

"About what?", she asked, scanning his face.

"Stuff. Everything."

He sighed and changed positions, now laying on his back. He put one arm under his head while he wrapped the other around her waist, pulling her closer to his side. She leaned against him, resting her head and one of her hands against his chest.

"Can I ask you a question?", he asked as he drew light circling patterns on her hip with his fingertips and looked up at the ceiling.

"Sure, go ahead."

"This life we have... Don't you ever wish things were different?"

She sighed and paused for a moment before she said something. "I used to, all the time. But now... I wouldn't change who I am for the world. The slayer is a part of who I am. And I realized something after Hugh died. At least I have a purpose with my life, which is more than most people ever have. They walk through life not knowing their path or what they're meant to do. At least I know. And besides, if it wasn't for who I am, I probably never would have met you."

She tilted her head slightly, pressing a kiss to Sam's chest through his shirt, and he sighed.

"There's this commercial in Finland with a slogan", she continued. "Uh, 'elämä on'."

Sam looked down at her, still moving his fingers along her hip. "What's that mean?"

"Directly translated, 'life is'. We just have to play the cards we've been dealt and make the best of it", she explained and looked up at him with a smile.

"I love you", he whispered. "I don't know what I'd do without you. "

She shifted positions, rolling over so she was now lying on top of his chest. He moved both of his hands to the small of her back, while her hair tickled his face as she hovered only inches above his face.

She smiled and looked into his eyes with so much love it left him breathless. "I love you too", she said and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, and he let out a light moan. "And I'm here for you, no matter what happens."

Rika rolled back off of him and he reluctantly let her. She lifted the covers off of her. She sat up on the bedside and looked down at him. "I'm going to take a shower", she said with a smile and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before getting up and starting to walk towards the bathroom.

"Hurry back", he said as he looked after her.

He couldn't get over how adorable her butt looked in the short and tight, forest green, cotton boy shorts she was wearing along with the white tank top. Her blonde hair was a wild mess after the night, tousled by sleep, and he loved the way it fell down her back in voluminous curls and he admired her shoulders, her back, the curve of her behind and her legs as she walked. God, he loved her and her body. She turned her head and winked before the door shut behind her.

Sam laid back down on his back, his hands crossed under the back of his head. He sighed with content, and closed his eyes for the moment, drawing in her scent that still lingered in their bed, sweet and tempting. Had it been his choice they would never have left that bed. As he thought of her he figured out what he was going to do. He'd just have to talk to Dean about his plan first.

Sam sighed again and opened his eyes. He might as well go get some coffee now that he was awake and Rika was in the shower. He'd be back by the time she got out.

---

Rika got out of the bathroom twenty minutes later to go get some clothes for the day, wrapped in nothing but her towel. She had taken her time, letting the water really wash away the sleep and relax her tense muscles.

Once she got out and noticed the empty bed she was slightly worried.

She looked around the room. "Sam?", she tried calling but there was no answer. The motel room was silent. She figured he'd just gone to grab breakfast or coffee and that he'd be back soon so she started rummaging through her duffel.

It wasn't long until she heard the motel room door open and close behind her back. She was just about to turn around when she felt a pair of hands on her waist and eager lips on her neck. "Sam? What'r...", she got out, but was silenced as she felt her towel fall down, pooling on the floor. Before she knew it she was swept up in his arms and seconds later she landed on the bed, flat on her back with Sam on top of her, her wrists gently pinned to the mattress by his large hands. He spread her thighs apart, positioning himself between them.

She giggled a bit as she looked up into his eyes, lovingly and intently looking back at her. She got lost in them for a moment and bit her bottom lip slightly in anticipation.

"What're you doing?", she asked him.

He just smiled and looked at her like she was a goddess. "Hush", he said as he let go of her right wrist, pressing his index finger softly to her lips, signaling her to be quiet. He leaned down towards her and soon his index finger was replaced by his thumb, which he gently ran across her bottom lip before it was replaced by his mouth and he kissed her.

Sam looked down at Rika, completely naked and one hundred percent his. When he came back from his coffee run and found her standing there in nothing but a towel, with her still wet hair draped over her shoulder, he found her absolutely irresistible. Her damp hair had left a few drops of water on her shoulders, face and neck and he kissed each of them away as he felt her tug impatiently at his t-shirt. He stopped kissing her for a moment and helped her pull it off. He grabbed it and threw it on the floor.

He lowered his head back down for more kisses. First he kissed her neck, gently letting his teeth graze the skin there, nibbling softly before he kissed the same spot. He gave the other side of her neck the same treatment and he heard her moan softly. God, he loved those little noises she made while he made love to her. His own arousal was nearly killing him, but he wanted to tease her and take it slow.

He kissed her collarbone and stopped for a moment, moving his face back up and looking into her eyes. She looked back, and then he finally broke the hypnosis when he placed his palm against her heart and he could feel it beating. He looked from his hand back into her eyes and she smiled. He leaned in and kissed her lips for a moment, pulling away just after they deepened it. He kissed his way down her neck and her collarbone before he found her breast with his lips. The hand that had been on her heart he moved down to caress and gently massage her other breast as he kissed the other.

Rika couldn't find a way to describe her feelings as Sam kissed, there weren't words for it. When he abandoned her breasts and started kissing his way down her stomach while his hands roamed all over her body, she honestly thought she was going to down. It felt like she was on fire, burning with passion and desire. She thought she would die as the waves of pleasure rushed through her body. His touch evoked such chaos that she hadn't though she would be able to feel. Her still wet hair was dripping on the pillow underneath her head and she could feel the locks sticking to her body, but she didn't care, all she could think about was Sam.

She arched her back off of the bed and tilted her head back, barely biting back a loud moan, when she felt him kiss his way up her inner thigh, stopping, and doing the same to the other. He moved back up her body and soon he was fully on top of her again, arching his chest down towards her, and she gasped at the contact of his hot skin against her cool one after the shower she had taken. He kicked off the sweatpants he was wearing while kissing her. Then he moved his hand down and let his fingers bite down on her thigh, nibbling and sucking on her neck while he was at it. He grabbed her knee, pulling her leg up against his waist. He stopped kissing her and looked into her eyes with his lust-clouded ones while he ran his hand up her thigh.

Rika wrapped her arms around his neck, rolling them both over so she was now on top. She gently bit his bottom lip, and she could feel him smiling underneath the kiss while he lifted his head up from the pillow for better access to her lips as felt tiny drops of water from her hair drip down on his face. He moaned and let his hands travel up and down her back, pulling her closer down towards him while she kissed the waterdrops away from his face.

As much as he enjoyed the game they were playing together, he needed more, needed her, needed to be inside of her. He maneuvred her to lie on her back once again with him on top and kissed her just once before pushing inside of her, her gasp muffled into his mouth.

Rika kissed Sam's neck while he moved, tasting the saltyness of the thin sheen of sweat his skin was now covered in. She tugged at his hair and let her hands ghost down his spine, making him moan and quicken his pace even though his trusts were still gentle. He looked into her eyes and she lifted her head up from the pillow, wanting to find his lips. She quickly succeeded and they kissed again. She wrapped her legs around his waist, driving him deeper inside of her.

Both of them were panting heavily and when he abandoned her lips to kiss her neck again, she tilted her head backwards, seeing stars. He heard her inhale and exhale, long, ragged breaths and it made him go absolutely wild, quickening his pace again. Rika could feel herself getting closer, and when he softly whispered her name and his breath tickled her ear, it sent her over the edge. Sam felt her inner walls tighten around him as she spasmed, and arched her back off of the bed gasping his name and he followed her, getting out a few more trusts before he collapsed on top of her with is head buried against her neck. When their breathing had calmed down he placed a few soft kisses on her neck and he shoulders and then he looked into her eyes.

He could have sworn she had never looked more beautiful than she did in that moment, her still damp hair fanned out all over the pillow in the early morning light. She smiled and he almost died, he loved her smile more than anything on this earth.

"I love you", he whispered with a smile.

"I love you too", she whispered back and kissed his jaw. He rolled off of her, and she turned around so she was laying on her stomach, her arms crossed underneath her chin as she looked at him.

"What brought that on?", she asked with a teasing smile.

He smiled back. "You."

He shifted slightly, and pressed his lips to the small of her back. Rika smiled as he kissed her way up her bare back, reaching her shoulder and her neck. When he was done kissing her, he laid back down on the bed and pulled her into his arms.

"You're the only thing in this messed up world that still makes sense to me", he said while looking into the ocean that was her eyes.

"Thank you", she whispered.

He shook his head lightly in confusion. "For what?", he asked.

"For being mine."

With that said she kissed his lips once more. "We should get dressed before Dean gets back."

He nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right."

Both of them got out of the bed, reaching for their duffels. Maybe this was going to be a good day for them.

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**A/N:** Also, if you're reading this, don't be afraid to review and leave me feedback. I don't bite, vampires do. ;)


	23. Sleep Apnea

**A/N: **Attempting to write a case of my own. Hopefully I manage to make it somewhat believable. Part of the dialogue in Rika's dream was taken from BtVS 4x22 "Restless".

"Nej" means "no" in Swedish. Rika obviously dreams and thinks completely in Swedish, not English, but I wrote it in English so I wouldn't have to translate – that would have been too complicated.

-------------------------------------

**Chapter 22 – Sleep Apnea**

-------------------------------------

_There sat a new test  
Much harder that you bought in  
As for the unseen, just take care of what you will  
Light the silent alarm  
We never think that we're missing much 'til_

_I gasp and hold my breath  
These needs had changed so deep  
To face you all and say  
I've been awake for years/forever_

_I need a new test  
Then I set out to choose someone to  
Light the soul like a kiln  
Just imagine us chasing this with  
Eyes scorned from sleep apnea  
A slight of tongue as the seas are emptying_

_Try to read off a letter that's falling apart  
The sun and the moon I count sheep  
Escape like an animal I'm ready for my sleepless stroll_

_I felt these shifting hours mistakenly used up_

_So I gasp and hold my breath  
These needs have changed so deep  
To face you all and say  
I've been awake for years/forever  
_Chevelle – Sleep Apnea

-------------------------------------

Sam watched the streak of light coming from the bathroom. Dean was already asleep in his bed, but Sam was awake, waiting for _her_. And then finally, he heard the sound of light footsteps, a floorboard creaking and she appeared in the doorway, like a goddess or an angel in the darkness that surrounded them. Her wavy hair was falling in a cascade over her shoulders, her long sideswept bang framing her face softly. She was wearing nothing but an old woman-fit, black, band t-shirt that clung to her body, reaching half her thighs, and a pair of matching black cotton boy shorts. Sam smiled. She looked amazing, his Rika, almost as if she was glowing in the doorway.

She closed the bathroom door and for a moment the room went completely dark. She made her way over to the bed and he lifted the covers slightly. She climbed in with him, right into his waiting arms. He let go of the covers and inhaled with a sigh, breathing her. She smelled so nice, a scent that he recognized so well by now: wild flowers and morning dew.

He nuzzled her neck, kissed it and closed his eyes. His Rika.

---

_Rika's hand snook in under Sam's t-shirt, tracing the lines of his abs with a feather-like touch. He moaned softly, and just when she was about to pull her hand away and fall asleep, he grabbed it gently, looking into her eyes.  
_

_"Don't stop", he begged her, his eyes fixed on her lips. "That feels so good."  
_

_"What about Dean?", she asked but when she looked towards Dean's bed, he was gone. "Where'd he–", she got out, but Sam interrupted her._

_"I need you."_

_Lips on lips in a tender kiss. The pleasant smell of sandelwood, vanilla, man and musk, his scent, travelling into her nose when his hand softly caressed her cheek. His large hand, running softly up her thigh, tugging at her panties. She moaned as he rolled himself completely on top of her. Her t-shirt slid right off, while his fingers seeked out her flesh. She pulled his t-shirt over his head, fluttering her fingers up his sides in the movement, making him twitch slightly from the tickle. A tongue slipping into her mouth, driving her wild with passion. Soft breathing and moans filling the room. Rika's breathing hitched as he used his thumb to gently circle her nipple, which hardened under his touch. He trailed kisses down her neck, before suddenly, the scene flickered and Sam was gone.  
_

_Instead Rika was running to a forest, fully clothed. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. Faster and more erratic with every breath. She heard no other sounds but branches snapping around her and the sound of her own, panicked breathing and footsteps. Her foot hit a root on the ground and she fell over, scraping her knees on the ground. She quickly got up and continued running. Someone or something was following her, and she was trying to escape her unknown assailant. She had managed to sprain her ankle, and running became more and more painful with every step as she limped forward. Rika drew a deep breath and crouched behind a thick tree. She tilted her head back against the trunk, closed her eyes and tried to calm her breathing so whatever was following her wouldn't be able to hear her. She opened her eyes and her sight immediately focused on an item on the path in front of her. A headstone. The one carrying her name. The one she had seen in a dream once. "Rika Johansson", it said._

_Rika could feel herself panic and she screamed, throwing herself back in the direction she had come from. She stumbled again before regaining her balance since her feet lost friction at their contact with the ground. She looked up and froze as she saw a dark-skinned woman on the path in front of her. She was crouched down, her hands and her feet on the ground. She looked primal in some way, like a cavewoman, with white paint on her face, streaks of black paint around her eyes, dreadlocks and long sharp, fingernails. She wore rags and animal skin, and she reminded Rika of some sort of wild animal._

_"Why are you following me?", she asked._

_"I'm not", the woman replied without her lips moving. It was like she was communicating with Rika telepathically._

_"What's your name?"_

_"You are asking the wrong questions", the cavewoman replied, shaking her head while she moved in a circle around Rika who moved with her, cautious. "I have no speech. No name. I live in the action of death, the blood cry, the penetrating wound."_

_She straightened up and looked Rika straight in the eye. "I am destruction. Absolute... alone."_

_Then, in a short moment of clarity, Rika understood. "The Slayer", she said calmly and stared at the primal slayer in front of her._

_She looked at Rika again, nodding slowly and thoughtfully. "The first."_

_Rika shook her head. "I'm not alone. I have Sam. And Dean. And my family back home. Just... let me go back to Sam."_

_The first slayer shook her head. "The slayer does not walk in that world."_

_"I do!", Rika said, raising her voice slightly. "Let me go back."_

_"Your love for the human makes you weak. For him you will sacrifice everything. You will die but there will be no death."_

_"Sam doesn't make me weak. If anything, I'm stronger when I'm with him. And what do you mean I will die but there'll be no death? Cryptic much?"_

_"No... friends. Just the kill."_

_"I'm not a killer!"_

_"We... are... alone!", the first slayer screamed._

_The first slayer and the surroundings began flickering and fading until they turned into something else. It was a normal, homey apartment, light and open. It seemed familiar to Rika, somehow. Why was that? Rika took a few steps towards the photoframes on the mantlepiece. One of them was a picture of a red-haired woman and a little girl, both of them smiling and happy. Then Rika recognized the woman. She inhaled sharply and turned around, feeling the tears running down her cheeks. "Nej, nej, nej...", she whispered._

_The red-haired woman Rika had dreamed of once before was hanging from the ceiling, upsidedown, her eyes and her mouth wide open. She was dressed in white and bleeding from her chest. "Help me. Please", she said before she took one last breath, a ragged rattle, as she died._

_Rika started hyperventilating and screamed, a scream full of terror._

_---_

Rika woke up in cold sweat, breathing heavily, her eyes wide of terror. She was lying on her back with the covers pulled up to her chest, Sam still fast asleep on his side next to her with a hand softly resting on her stomach.

She looked away from Sam, instead looking up at the ceiling. She put her palm on her forehead for a moment, waiting to calm down. What had started as a very pleasant dream had changed into another prophetic nightmare, this time even more intense than last time. The first slayer visiting her in her sleep unnerved her even more than usual. The primal slayer had been very cryptic, and all this about Rika's death was frightening her. The first slayer had said she would die but there would be no death. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Why couldn't these dreams just spell things out, nice and clear? And then there was that headstone she kept dreaming about, her own headstone. Rika pondered on whether she should tell Sam about this death related dreaming, but she decided not to. There was no use in giving him two people to worry about, he already had enough to deal with when it came to Dean and his deal.

Rika closed her eyes for a moment, attempting to go back to sleep, but images from her nightmare flashed before her eyes. Breathing a bit heavier again, she opened her eyes.

Sam mumbled something in his sleep. "–ka..."

She looked at him, by the way it sounded he had mumbled her name. With a soft sigh, Rika curled up against him resting her head against his chest, calmed by his presence and his warmth, drawing in his scent. When she snuggled closer he automatically pulled her towards his body, cradling her in his arms. The hand he had been keeping on her stomach wandered softly underneath her t-shirt, fingers fluttering across the skin on her stomach before it stayed put. Lust seered through her body for a moment, but she quickly ignored it and closed her eyes, feeling comfortable. She felt safe and at home as the two of them were tangled together again. Soon, she fell back into a light and restless, but dreamless, sleep. Sam's breathing and his slowly sinking and rising chest acting as her personal lullabye.

-------------------------------------

The next morning, the three of them were sitting in a diner, having breakfast. Sam studied Rika, as she absent-mindedly looked through some newspaper, holding a glass of orange juice. She had been strangely quiet all morning, and he feared there was something she wasn't telling him.

"You okay?", he asked softly and she looked up for a second before she stared at the newspaper again.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Didn't get much sleep."

He leaned in and placed a kiss on her shoulder through the fabric of her t-shirt. Then he looked at his brother. Dean was munching on a piece of blueberry pie. Sam rolled his eyes. "Dude, seriously? Pie for breakfast?"

"I love me some pie", Dean said and grinned widely, his teeth blue from the berries.

Sam frowned in disgust and was just about to say something before he heard Rika gasp. "It's her!" Things happened in a split-second, the glass she was holding fell to the ground, broke and pieces of glass mixed with orange juice splatters scattered all over the floor. He looked at her, seeing that she looked incredibly pale as she scimmed through something in the newspaper.

The waitress, who was in her 50's, appeared at the table.

"We're so sorry", Sam said with an excusing smile.

"'S alright, things happen", the waitress said and started cleaning up the juice and the glass. When she was done she walked away and Sam turned to Rika.

"Honey, what's wrong? You never drop things."

She didn't answer, apparently concentrated. He grabbed her arm softly. "Hey..."

She shook her head lightly, coming out of her trance. "Look at this."

She shoved the newspaper towards him, and Dean looked at them both with a confused expression.

"_Local female victim of strange murder"_ read the headline of the article Rika had been reading. There was a picture of a red-headed woman, late 20's maybe, with a little girl in her lap, both of them smiling and happy. Sam scimmed through the article. Apparently, the woman had been found dead in her home in Collinsville, Connecticut, where she lived with her husband and their daughter. She had been hanging upsidedown from the ceiling, dressed in nothing but her white nightgown, bleeding from the torso. The article said nothing more about how she had died, or why she had been bleeding.

"Does it sound familiar?", Rika asked and looked intently at Sam.

He crinkled his forehead for a moment, trying to figure out where he had heard that before. "I've heard this before... But I can't rememb–".

"Maybe I can jog your memory. My dream."

Sam's eyes widened in realization. "That's right, that prophetic dream you had... With the red-headed woman asking you for help."

"Well, it's safe to say I'm too late. I recognized her immediately. That's her. And I'm ready to bet that it's supernatural."

Dean snatched the newspaper from Sam and started reading. "I guess we have a new case then."

Sam picked up his bag and pulled out his laptop, placing it on the table. "We need more details", he deadpanned and opened up the browser, starting to Google.

He found no more information about the killing than the info they had gotten from reading the article. Apparently the police hadn't released anything else. "Damn it", he cursed as he frustratedly scimmed through the websites.

"Let me try something", Rika said and Sam nodded, giving her the laptop. She looked concentrated as she typed and clicked, and Sam was desperately trying to see what she was doing. After a few minutes she smiled triumphantly.

"Gotcha", she said and looked at the screen. "I found the case file and the autopsy report. Ugh, and it comes with gory crime scene photos."

She turned the laptop towards Sam and baffled he looked at the screen. "How'd you do that?", he asked and looked at her half impressed, half surprised. "Are all the autopsy reports are like... open to the public?"

She smiled and looked slightly guilty. "Um, well, in a way. I sort of stumbled onto it when I _accidentally_ decrypted the sheriff's department's firewall and _accidentally_ hacked into their secure database." She used her fingers to make quotation marks in the air when she said "accidentally".

Sam chuckled and looked at her in awe. "God, I love you. You have to teach me how to do that one day. I mean, I'm pretty good at computers and–", he lowered his voice slightly at the next word, "–hacking, but I've never been able to get through the police firewall."

She just smiled and Dean looked between them. "Okay, you two definitely deserve each other", he stated. "Nerd herd."

Sam snapped his eyes away from Rika's gaze and looked at the autopsy report, as Rika said, complete with gory crime scene photos. He shuddered slightly at one of the photos.

"Okay, the woman's name was Caroline Hawkins, 28. She had apparently been stabbed with a blunt object, maybe a dagger, bleeding from her abdomen when they found her. She lost a lot of blood, which was speeded up by the fact that she was hanging upside down by her ankles from the ceiling in their living room. She had some odd bruising, but there are no photos of the autopsy here, just the general crime scene photos. She had bruising around her ankles from the ropes, indicating she was still alive when she was strung up from the ceiling. The police found no other evidence, no fingerprints, no DNA and no murder-weapon."

Sam looked up from the autopsy report, and let his gaze dart between Rika and Dean. "It does sound like it could be our kind of case, and since Rika dreamed about Caroline, it's safe to say we should check it out. We've taken cases from a lot less. I think I'm going to need to see the body."

Dean took the last bite of his pie, the last sip of his coffee and then he stood up. "Well, what're we waiting for?", he said and looked at Rika and Sam. "We're going to Collinsville."

-------------------------------------

**A/N:** Took a while for me to get this one up, it proved surprisingly difficult to write. Hopefully I managed to make the case relatively realistic. ;) Reviews are sex, I'd love to know what you reading this think.


	24. If I Had My Way

**A/N:** First I'd like to apologize for taking so long to update this. I've been swamped with work and I've suffered from a severe writer's block with this chapter. Getting Sam and Rika to cooperate with me is difficult at times. They're living a life of their own inside my head.

I got a question about Sam and Rika when they're intimate. I can assure you, they're safe when they make love, even though I find it redundant to mention. So no worries. There will be no accidental pregnancy or abortion in this story.

**I've made a trailer** for this fic. If you want to watch it go to YouTube and then add _/watch?v=rtt3vAxggM8_ at the end. I've also started a rewrite of 'How To Save A Life', the first part to this story, to make it better and to fix certain plot holes and errors. If you want to read it, go to my profile.

That is all folks. Hope you enjoy the new chapter. Don't be afraid to leave reviews. It's the only way for me to know what to improve. I'd love to hear your thoughts and questions. I don't bite – vampires do.

* * *

**Chapter 23 – If I Had My Way**

* * *

_Long ago and far away  
Before the world had come to this  
I took for granted how my life would be  
Assuming that my freedom would be free_

Before these evening shadows fell  
I reveled in the light of day  
I rarely ever cried, my patience wasn't tried  
And heroes never died

But if I had my way  
Things would be different  
Danger wouldn't come from a sky of blue  
Choices would be clear  
Strangers would be kinder  
Love a little blinder  
As it saved the day  
If I had my way

Every now and then it seems  
We live our lives to such extremes  
Racing all around, never homeward bound  
Losing what we've found

But if I had my way  
Things would be different  
No one would believe that a lie was true  
Choices would be clear  
Wisdom would be heeded  
Warnings never needed  
This is what I pray  
If I had my way

The milk of human kindness  
Would seek us out and find us  
And color all the words we say

And hearts would come alive  
Instead of breaking  
No one would believe  
That a lie was true  
Angels would appear  
Children would be cherished  
Hope would never perish  
Faith would not betray  
If I had my way 

Linda Eder – If I Had My Way

* * *

_She turned towards him and took a step closer._

"It's easier for you two, though", she said, with a sad look in her eyes. "You two could quit if you wanted to. I can't. This isn't a job for me, it's who I am. My destiny. I can never quit."

He nodded, encouraging her to continue and she did.

"Basically, I come from a long line of women who don't make it past 25, not normally at least", she said with an ironic laugh. "My time is starting to run out, huh?"

"No", he said through clenched teeth in an attempt to comfort her and shook his head. "I won't let that happen."

She gave him a sad smile.

---__

Collinsville, Connecticut – Present day

Rika didn't want to admit it to anyone, especially not to herself or Sam, but she was scared out of her wits. She thought back at the conversation she and Sam had had in her living room a little after they first met and after which they had made love for the first time in her bed. She remembered the conversation as clear as if it had been yesterday. She remembered she hadn't believed him then. There was nothing he could have done about her destiny. If she had to sacrifice herself for the mission, back then, she would have done it in a heartbeat. But now, she didn't want to die. She had everything to live for now. And now she was having these dreams about her death, and it frightened her.

Only hours later after that first conversation, Sam had once again been there for her. She had been injured when killing the demon Belphegor and sitting in the backseat of the Impala, wrapped in Sam's arms. He had held her so tight, and now she fully understood why. He had already loved her back then. And that time she also wanted to believe his words, she really did. But she couldn't.

---

_"Stop worrying", she said giving him a small smile. She didn't want him to worry. The wound on her side wasn't very deep and she had been through much worse. Besides, they were on their way to the hospital. He shouldn't worry about her. She was going to be just fine._

"You can barely keep your eyes open", he said.

"I'm just tired, that's all. I'll be just fine."

"I know, I'm not going to let anything happen to you", he said softly and kissed her forehead.  


"Hey."

Rika was taken out of her reverie when Sam's fingertips gently brushed up against her hand as he sat down next to her on the edge of the motel room bed. They were waiting for Dean to get back after filling the Impala up on gas so they could go talk to Caroline's husband. Rika shook herself out of her thoughts and looked up at him, his eyes looking at her with this expression of worry combined with love, the very expression she liked to call 'the puppy dog'.

"Huh?", she mumbled.

"What're you thinkin' about?", he asked gently.

"Nothing."

"Are you sure you're okay?" He kept looking intently at her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She couldn't take him worrying about her right now. Not now. It was just making things worse.

"You positive? Dean and I could talk to the husband alone you know, if you're not feeling up to it." He entwined their fingers as he spoke, gently squeezing her petite hand in his large one.

She sighed and looked down to the side for a moment before she looked up at him with a soft smile. "No, I can do this. I _have_ to do this. Being here just feels weird and all."

He scanned her face and nodded softly. "Alright. But if you don't feel like you can do it, just tell me, okay?"

She nodded. "Uh-huh."

He leaned in to give her a soft peck on the lips. She couldn't help but to smile. They heard the door open and their moment was lost. Dean stopped in the doorway and looked at them.

"Ready to go?", he asked.

Rika and Sam looked at each other for confirmation before Rika nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

She got up from the bed and took Sam's hand in hers, encouraging him to follow her.

---

The first thing that struck Rika when she got out of the Impala was how normal the house looked from the outside. It was a typical suburban house with a lawn and a black iron gate. The sun was shining and everything looked so calm and just the way it was supposed to look. However, the image in front of her was slightly paradoxal, she knew it was boiling under the surface.

" 'Kay, let's do this thing", Dean said, locked the Impala's doors and straightened out his suit. He walked ahead of Sam and Rika towards the house, heading for the gate. Sam gave Rika a quick look and an encouraging smile. She smiled back, took a deep breath and then the two of them followed Dean to the house.

Rika was the one to ring the bell, and it wasn't long until a man carefully opened the door. She assumed it was the husband, he looked like he'd been crying a lot. His hair was ruffled and he had bags under his eyes. Rika felt sorry for him and she immediately remembered how terrible she'd felt after Hugh died.

"Yes?", he asked quietly and let his eyes dart between the three people standing at his door.

"I'm special agent Plant, these are special agents Page and Young", Dean said calmly. "We're with the FBI and we were wondering if you'd like to answer a few questions."

"I already told the cops everything about Caroline", the husband, whose name Rika remembered was Richard, said.

Rika gave him an empathetic smile. "We know and we're sorry, but we're taking over the case right now, and we'd just like to go over a few details. It'll help us find your wife's killer."

Sam looked at Rika in awe, she handled these kinds of situations really well.

Richard looked at them for a moment, apparently contemplating something. Then his expression softened and he nodded quietly. "Alright", he said. "Just make it quick. Come on in."

He stepped aside and allowed for the trio to pass him and get inside the house. Dean walked first and Rika after him. She felt Sam being close behind her, so close she could almost hear him breathing. Once inside they paused for a moment and turned towards Richard. He closed the door and walked ahead of them.

"Come on, living room's this way", he said and they followed him. "That's where I, uh, I found her."

Once they got inside the living room, Rika froze. It looked _exactly_ like in her dreams, down to the photograph on the mantlepiece. She tensed, every single muscle in her body stiff. She couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't speak. She had had no idea actually seeing this place would cause this reaction. And the fact that it was so like her dreams wasn't the only thing disturbing her. She could sense something in the air, something dark, something unknown. This case was definitely supernatural. If only she could figure it out...

Sam noticed that she hesitated, of course he did, and snook up next to her, brushing his hand against hers before he placed it gently on her lower back, rubbing lightly to calm her down. "It's okay", he whispered in her ear. "Come on, I'm right here. Dean and I can handle the talking."

She nodded softly and let Sam guide her towards the couch were Dean was already seated. She'd have to tell them about the sensations she'd felt in the room later. Now they needed to concentrate on Richard.

"Can you tell us what happened when you found her?", Sam asked with his softest voice, the one he always reserved for conversations like this one.

"Well, I was working late and our daughter was sleeping over at a friend's house. I ca– I came home and found her. She was just... hanging there, bleeding. Eyes wide open. I will never forget it."

"What did you do?", Dean asked.

"Well, after the initial shock... I don't really remember. I think I check if she was really, you know, gone. I had blood on my hands after. The cops suspected I had something to do with her death at first. Then I think I called the cops and an ambulance."

"What di– how did it look?", Sam asked.

"How's your daughter doing? What's her name?", Rika asked.

"Maggie. Quite frankly, I don't know what to do with her. She doesn't talk to me anymore, not since her mo–." He laughed sarcastically. "She's only six years old, and already looks so much like Caroline. Caroline was part Irish, so they both have the typical red hair and the green eyes."

"Where is she now?", Rika asked softly.

"She's in her room, drawing", Richard replied. "Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if you would mind me talking to her?", Rika attempted.

"Well, I guess you could try, if you think it'd do any good."

"Could you point me to her room?", Rika asked.

"Up the stairs and to the right. You can't miss it."

"Thank you", Rika said with a soft smile. She got up from her seat and before she walked up to Maggie's room, she whispered in Sam's ear.

"I'll go talk to Maggie. Can you guys finish this?"

Sam looked up at her and nodded. He was wondering why she wanted to talk to the daughter, but he guessed she had her reasons. Rika would tell him later.

She walked away and Sam shook his head lightly. "So, before this happened, how'd your wife act? Did she behave strangely in any way? Or did you notice something out of the ordinary?"

The voices of Richard and the Winchesters faded as Rika walked up the stairs. It didn't take her long to find Maggies room and she peaked in the door. The room was the typical one of a little girl, mostly in light pink and yellow, the Barbie and princess theme being quite apparent. Maggie's walls were plastered with her own drawings as well as a few paintings with fairy tale motives.

Maggie was, in fact, seated on the floor with a low stool in front of her. She had her crayons spread out across the floor and was at the moment dribbling on a piece of paper with a red one. Rika carefully knocked on the door frame and Maggie looked up. Rika smiled at the little girl.

"Hi there, Maggie."

The little girl just looked at her, suspiciously, with those big, green eyes of hers. She looked so much like her mother Caroline, red curly hair and similar eyes. Maggie didn't say anything at first, but after a moment the girl's eyes softened and she opened her mouth. "Who are you?"

"Well, Maggie, my name is Rika. Can you keep a secret?"

"Uh-huh", Maggie said and looked at Rika eagerly, nodding frantically.

Rika walked inside the room and sat down next to Maggie on the floor. "See, I'm a superhero. But you can't tell anyone, because then it wouldn't be a secret."

Maggie's eyes grew large. "You are?", she asked. "Do you catch bad guys?"

"As a matter of fact I do." Rika smiled at the little girl.

Maggie looked down and hesitated for a moment. Then she looked up at Rika. "Can you catch the bad guy that hurt my mommy?", she asked softly, almost a whisper.

"That's why I'm here, to make sure he won't hurt anyone else ever again." Maggie nodded and Rika continued. "Do you know what happened to your mommy?"

"Daddy says she's an angel in heaven. She has wings now. And that she looks after me", Maggie said sincerely and stopped and thought for a moment before she continued. "Is it true?"

"Yes, of course it's true. Your mommy is safe and warm." Rika wasn't sure whether she should be having this conversation. It wasn't really her place, after all. And it made her feel uneased. But she needed to find out if Maggie knew something. Besides, she felt sorry for the little girl. She shouldn't have lost her mother, not like that.

"Mommy was scared." Maggie spoke after a moment of silence. "But she told me not to worry."

"Did she say why?", Rika asked softly.

"She was scared of the strange man. She didn't want him to hurt her."

Rika froze. "Did you see this man, Maggie? What did he look like?"

The girl nodded, a frightened expression on her face. "I have scary dreams about him. He had dark eyes and a strange voice. Mommy was scared of him. She screamed at him to stop following her around."

"Have you told anyone about this? Your daddy?"

Maggie shook her head. "No. I promised mommy not to." The little girl suddenly looked guilty. "Will mommy be mad at me for telling you?"

"Of course not, sweetie. She would be proud of you. Besides, I'm a superhero. You can tell me all secrets. It doesn't count as breaking a promise."

"Are you sure?" Maggie asked, and looked at Rika with inquisitive eyes.

Rika nodded. "Uh-huh. Cross my heart and hope to die."

"I miss mommy", Maggie confessed and absent-mindedly doodled with the crayon. "She used to sing to me when I was scared and then it would go away. Now I'm just scared all the time when I have dreams about the bad man."

"You know what, Maggie? My mommy used to sing a song to me when I was little and scared too."

"She did?", Maggie asked.

"Yes. Do you want me to sing it for you?"

Maggie nodded frantically again, abandoned her crayon and inched herself closer to Rika. The fact that Maggie had trusted her so instantly made her happy. She loved children, and God, if she didn't want a little girl and a little boy of her own. She knew Sam would make a great father. Unfortunately it was impossible, at least for the time being.

Rika took the little girl's tiny hand in her own and smiled softly before she started singing the Swedish song 'Jag vill ha en egen måne' by Ted Gärdestad. It had brought her much comfort as a child when her own mother had sung it to her when she was sad and afraid. "_Kan du förstå två våta kinder, dom torkar lika snabbt igen. Man rår ej för att tårar rinner, när man mist sin vän..._"

In the meanwhile Sam and Dean had finished speaking to Caroline's husband, and the three of them were moving up the stairwell to the second story. Sam wondered if Rika had managed to talk to the little girl. Hopefully she had something more than he and Dean had gotten out of Richard. He hadn't known much about Caroline's life during her last few days alive.

When they reached the end of the staircase the three of them heard a faint singing voice. As they approached Maggie's room it grew clearer. Rika was singing to Maggie in a soft voice. Sam recognized the language of the song as Swedish. Maggie's eyelids had grown heavy, the girl was falling asleep. Rika was holding her hand in hers, softly stroking her hair with the other, comforting the little girl while she sang with her beautiful voice. Sam smiled and felt all warm and fuzzy on the inside. That was his girlfriend. She would indeed make a fantastic mother.

Sam glanced over at Richard. Richard was smiling as he watched the scene. Sam thought he might have reacted against it, but apparently he was okay with it. Maggie calming down must have been a relief for the poor man. He had told them about how Maggie nearly didn't speak, and that she had horrible nightmares in the middle of the night. She hadn't slept much since her mother had died, and now she was falling asleep as Rika sang to her.

"_Jag vill ha en egen måne, som jag kan åka till, där jag kan glömma att du lämnat mej. Jag kan sitta på min måne och göra vad jag vill, där stannar jag tills allting ordnat sig..._"

Rika's song tuned out and she looked up at the three men standing in the doorway. She looked surprised at first, like she hadn't noticed them arriving. Her gaze locked with Sam's and they shared a private smile. She looked over at Richard and gestured him to get over there. Quietly he walked over there and picked the sleeping Maggie up in his arms and walked over to the bed where he put her down with affectionate, fatherlike tenderness. He tucked her in and left her there to sleep. He watched his daughter for a moment with a slight smile on his lips.

Rika got up from her position on the floor and walked over to the Winchesters in the doorway. Her eyes were locked with Sam's and they smiled at each other. When she was there, next to him, he gave her a hug and a quick kiss on the lips. God, he loved her.

They moved out of the room and Richard quickly followed. "No matter how you managed that", Richard said, "Thank you. She hasn't been sleeping much since her mother died."

"It's no problem, really." Rika smiled at Richard.

There was a moment of silence before Dean spoke. "Okay, we really must be going now. Thank you for your time, Mr Hawkins. We'll stay in touch."

"No problem. Let me know if you catch my wife's killer."

Sam nodded. "Absolutely."

And with that the three of them walked down the stairs and out to the car. Sam had his hand on Rika's waist the entire time. All of them got inside the Impala. Once they were seated Rika spoke.

"Something supernatural definitely happened in that house. I could feel it as soon as I walked inside the living room. Something dark. I couldn't figure out what it was though."

Sam turned around to look at her. "Don't tell me, Slayer-spidey-sense-thingy?"

"Yeah. Also, Maggie saw something. She told me Caroline was scared of some strange man with dark eyes and an a strange voice. Maybe she was referring to an accent or something. Anyways, that's who Maggie's been having nightmares about. She said her mom had been scared of him and told him not to follow her."

Both Winchesters looked at Rika with quizzical expressions. Sam cleared his throat and looked at her. "Dark eyes?", he asked and looked thoughtful. "Demon?"

Rika shook her head. "I don't think so. She said dark eyes, not black eyes. Besides, I couldn't feel a demonic presence there and there was no sulfur. I just got this weird feeling of... well, darkness. Deep, bottomless darkness."

"Well, I'll tell you one thing", Dean deadpanned after a moment of silence. "That sounds really ominous."

"No shit, Sherlock", Rika said. "Just be happy you couldn't feel it like I did. It scared me."

Sam studied her for a moment before he looked over at Dean. "Let's get back to the motel. I'm thinking research."

"I'll drop the two of you off at the motel to do research. I'll go talk to the local officers, maybe snoop around town a bit, see if anyone knew Caroline."

"Sounds good", Rika said with a nod. Dean turned the ignition key and immediately the car was filled with Led Zeppelin's 'Ramble On'.

_-------------------------------------_

"_I am destruction. Absolute... alone._"__

The words of the First Slayer kept replaying in Rika's mind. When Dean dropped Sam and herself off outside the motel, they walked in silence. Rika was lost in deep thoughts with her hands in her pockets and her head down, and Sam secretly glanced at her, trying to read her.

"_We... are... alone!_" In Rika's mind the First Slayer was screaming the words out with her raspy voice and it brought Rika out her day dream. She was still thinking of the dream and what it had meant. She couldn't shake the ill-boding feeling she'd had since the Hawkins's living room either. It was like the darkness consumed her, kept her imprisoned. And she felt horrible.

Rika unlocked the door and Sam followed her inside. Once he had closed the door he forced Rika to look at him. "What's wrong?", he asked her and stared into her eyes.

Rika blinked and shook her head. "Nothing."

"Rika...", Sam whispered. "Come on. Tell me. I can see something's bothering you. You've been so quiet and strange lately."

Rika said nothing and suddenly Sam continued. "You haven't been having prophetic dreams again lately, have you?"

Rika was shocked. How could he know? She decided to fake surrpise. "What?! No! Don't you think I would have told you?"

"I don't know", he deadpanned and studied her. "You tell me."

"I'm just tired, that's all. I– I just wish the world would take care for itself for once. And seeing that place for real... It was just a bit weird. I'll be fine, I just need a long shower or something."

"Go", he said. "We'll research afterwards."

Rika was almost about to leave on herself before she realized she really needed Sam at the moment. She needed to feel his body against hers, feel safe in his arms. Feel whole again. "Come with me."

"What?", he looked surprised at first.

She smiled. "Are you coming or what?" Rika pulled her shirt over her head and threw it on the floor. She left a confused Sam watching her back as she retreated towards the bathroom. Without looking back she unclasped her bra and threw it on one of the beds.

Sam looked after her, her long hair falling down over her back as she removed her bra. He couldn't help but to smile as he felt blood starting to pool towards a certain part of his anatomy, even though he worried about her. In a hurry he followed her. Inside the bathroom, he closed the door.

She was already in the shower. He could hear the water running and see her silhouette through the curtain. With a smile he quietly stripped out of his own clothes and walked towards the shower. His body was humming with excitement as he pulled the curtain aside and stepped inside the shower with her. Lust seered through his body as he took in her clotheless state, water trickling in paths down her body, paths he instantly wanted to follow with his tongue.

Her back was turned against him and he walked up behind her, putting his arms around her waist and pulling her as close as possible.

Rika smiled as she felt Sam's naked form pressed against her and reached her arms up to wrap around his neck. She forgot all her worries as soon as his hands started travelling restlessly.

---

Once they were done in the shower, both of them got dressed in silence. With a soft smile Sam watched as Rika combed her hair. She smiled back at him as she caught his gaze in the mirror. Then he opened the bathroom door. He stepped out into the motel room, but instantly froze.

An unknown woman was sitting at the table in the room, with her back turned to him. She had medium length, fiery red hair. Sam instantly tensed. "Who are you?!", he asked and reached for his gun.

The red-haired woman turned around, she was young and had hazel eyes. She was pretty, although not quite his type. She stared at the gun in his hand, completely calm.

"Sam, no, wait!", Rika exlaimed and appeared at his side, reaching for his gun and preventing him from aiming at the woman.

"Willow?!"

-------------------------------------

**A/N: **Evil cliffie. I know.


	25. Broken Bones

**A/N:** First I'd like to apologize for taking so long to update this. I've been swamped with work and I've suffered from a severe writer's block with this chapter. Getting Sam and Rika to cooperate with me is difficult at times. They're living a life of their own inside my head. I can't believe how many times I've opened the document with this chapter and only written a line or two. This fic has been kicking my ass, to be honest.

Anyways, my year at uni is over, so I might have a bit more time to write. If anyone still follows this… Kudos to you for waiting.

A tiny bit of dialogue in this chapter was taken from the Buffy season 8 comics. I own neither Supernatural nor Buffy. Just the stuff I come up with in my own crazy mind.

That is all folks. Hope you enjoy the new chapter. Don't be afraid to leave reviews. It's the only way for me to know what to improve. I'd love to hear your thoughts and questions. I don't bite – vampires do.

* * *

**Chapter 24 – Broken Bones**

**

* * *

**_Picking up broken words  
Snipping the tips off  
Grinding down the long ones  
That wind around your eardrums_

_Dangerous plastic words  
For crowd dispersal  
And dumb dumb words  
That could blow your head off_

_One fine day you'll sing  
Your inevitable love song  
Inevitable lie song_

_Inevitable cry song_

_Time bends broken bones  
Time bends broken bones  
'Til they wrap around your throat  
And snap around your fingers_

_This is a story 'bout the three of us  
Down by the water and the tide is rising  
This world is burning and I'm terrified  
I need a little more time with you, oh_

_Down by the water and the tide keeps rising  
This world is burning and I'm terrified  
I need a little more time with you  
Oh, I just need a little more time with you  
Oh please, just a little more time with you_

Aqualung – Broken Bones

_

* * *

_

"Willow?", Rika exclaimed.

Sam's eyes darted from the unknown redhead to Rika. She looked surprised but happy. _Willow_. The extremely powerful wicca that Rika had spoken of. The wicca that had promised Rika to look into ways to save Dean. The wicca who had discovered that all of his mother's aquaintances, friends and family had been killed. The wicca who was friends with the other Slayer and had taught Rika some magic. Why was she here?

Willow's face lit up in a little smile. Sam studied it. She looked happy to see Rika, but somehow he couldn't help but to feel that her smile was a little strained.

"Rika, hi!", she exclaimed, her voice chipper and carefree.

"Oh my God, hi", Rika said and hurried up to Willow, leaving a confused Sam behind. They hugged and laughed a little before pulling away from each other. "What're you doing here, Will?"

"I came to see you", Willow said, her smile more genuine this time. "And look at you, all glow-y! You look fantastic! Much better than when I saw you last. You were so broody then! This is what I call improvement."

Rika laughed and Willow looked over at Sam. "Ah, I imagine this would be the cause of that."

Rika shook her head, almost as if she just then remembered Sam being there. Her face lit up with a bright smile and she nodded. "Willow, this is Sam. Sam, Willow."

Sam had already put his gun away and relaxed a bit after he found out who the strange redhead was. Willow walked up to him and reached her hand out, a smile playing on her lips. Sam noticed she was scanning his appearance and took her hand to shake it.

"Nice to meet you. Sam. Rika's told me all about you." She held onto his hand for a moment while intently looking at him. Sam just knew she was trying to read him.

He cleared his throat. He couldn't help but to smile too, Willow's chipper attitude was contagious. "Likewise. She's told me a lot about you too."

Willow turned back towards Rika. "Nice catch, Rika. He's really tall! Hell, if I swung that way…"

Sam cringed a bit, but Rika winked at him, a little sparkle in the corner of her eye. "I know", she mused. Then she looked at Willow again. "So, how's everyone?"

"Well, we try not to get killed. That's part of our whole mission statement. 'Don't get killed.'" Willow's tone was cheery but there was an undertone to it that Sam couldn't quite figure out. He figured her words were more serious than she made them out to be.

"Well, how've you been? How's Kennedy? Are you two still–", Rika asked Willow.

"She died." Willow interrupted Rika's question and Rika's face immediately darkened, her hands shooting up to her face to cover her mouth.

"Oh God, Will… I'm so sorry, I–"

"Oh, no!", Willow replied exasperatedly, waving her hands slightly. "She's fine! Mystical thing. Only lasted a month. We're just taking it slow for a while. She's sort of in her own space, but it's cool." Willow shook her head, lost in thought. "I always tell that wrong."

Rika relaxed and looked a bit more comfortable. Sam had no idea what to say. Why was Willow here? She was difficult not to like, but there had to be some reason for her visit. She'd come all the way from Europe. It couldn't be a mere social call. What was so important it couldn't be handled over the phone? Not that he wasn't glad Rika got a visit from a friend, but it was odd. He decided to wait and see how things played out.

"So, Rika, how've you been?", Willow asked and narrowed her eyes slightly. Her expression was much more serious now.

"Fine."

"Good." Willow took a deep breath. "There's something I gotta talk to you about."

"What's that?", Rika asked and looked slightly confused.

"Maybe we should discuss it in private", Willow said suggestively and looked at Sam from under her breath.

Sam didn't know what to think. He and Rika locked eyes, she gave him a half smile and shook her head lightly.

She turned back to Willow. "No, Will. There's no need for that. You can say anything in front of Sam."

* * *

"Are you sure?", Willow asked and stared at Rika.

"Yeah, one hundred percent. I'm going to tell him everything anyways." Rika took a step back so she was standing next to Sam.

He put a hand on her back, to give Willow the signal that they were together in everything. Rika was tense, he noticed that instantly. Her good mood was gone and now she looked at Willow with a worried look in her eyes. He knew she was just as curious as she was.

Willow sighed and let her gaze dart from Rika to Sam and back again. Then she seemed to give in. "Okay", she said. "You two had better sit down."

Rika looked at Sam and furrowed her brow. He shrugged and then they looked back at Willow. They did as she told them and sat down on the edge of the bed. Willow pulled out a chair and sat down in front of them. "What are you doing here in Connecticut?", Willow asked.

"What's that got to do with anything?", Rika asked in apparent confusion.

"Just answer the question", Willow said neutrally with a calmness in her voice.

"Alright… A woman. Caroline. She got killed by– by something. When we were at her house I felt this strange… Darkness, I guess. It was nothing like anything I'd felt before. It kind of scared me."

Sam looked over at his girlfriend and rubbed her back reassuringly. He knew she was taking this case particularly hard, because of her dreams. She felt connected to Caroline.

"And how did you find out about her?", Willow asked and studied Rika. Sam had a feeling she already knew the answer.

"I had a dream."

"A prophetic one?", Willow asked.

"Well, yeah. What's with the third degree, Will? D'you know something?", Rika asked and shook her head lightly. She looked at the wicca.

"I just needed a confirmation. Rika, Buffy's been having similar dreams. About a red-haired woman in Connecticut, hanging upside down from the ceiling, dead."

"And?", Rika asked.

"She saw something else too, in the dream I mean." Willow's eyes were filled with concern. Sam wondered why.

"She saw you die."

Sam drew a sharp breath and tensed. Instantly he tightened his grip on Rika's waist. The other Slayerh had had a prophetic dream. About his girlfriend. Dying. No. He couldn't, not again. He couldn't lose her. Their family had a long history of beautiful blondes in their immediate vicinity dying. Rika couldn't– He wouldn't allow it. He was already losing Dean.

He studied Rika, expecting a shocked reaction. Or any kind of reaction at all. But she didn't respond at all. She just looked at Willow with a neutral expression.

"But then again, you already knew, didn't you, Rika?", Willow asked and studied the blonde Slayer in front of her. "You've dreamt about your death too."

Sam felt his eyes widen in surprise and shock. His gaze immediately darted to his girlfriend. "Rika, what's she talkin' about?", he asked.

Rika ignored him. She looked at Willow. "… Not exactly. Just a headstone. With my name on it. I didn't know what it meant. I thought mayb– Maybe it was a metaphor for something else."

Sam shot up. "How come you didn't tell me any of this? You swore you hadn't been having any new dreams!"

"Sam, please, just calm down. This is exactly why I didn't tell you. I knew you'd overreact, and you have more than enough on your plate with Dean."

Rika had gotten up and taken his hands into hers. Her voice was so incredibly calm that it alone managed to calm him down. She continued. "And technically, I was telling the truth. This isn't a new dream. I dreamt about the headstone the first time I dreamt about Caroline. That night when you found me in the bathroom, remember? It was just a dream, Sam. They're always cryptic, and the headstone doesn't necessarily mean that I'm going to actually _die_. It could be a symbol for something else. So please, just sit back down?"

* * *

She looked at him with those big eyes of hers and he just couldn't resist. He'd do anything for her. All it took was for her to look at him like that. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Alright", he resigned and sat down.

Rika followed him and this time she sat down in his lap. He'd want to keep her close, and she knew it. So she game him the comfort he so desperately needed. "_I should be the one comforting her_", he thought absent-mindedly.

"Okay", Rika said and looked at Willow. "What are you really doing here, Will?"

The wicca cleared her throat. "You said you'd felt an unfathomable darkness at that house. I know what it is. And it's related to that headstone you saw in your dream. The same one Buffy saw."

This time Rika did look shocked. She clasped Sam's hand and it pleased him. She was looking to him for comfort. It was all he needed from her. He needed to know she would lean on him when she needed it. He needed her to let him be there for her.

"How d'you kn–", Rika began but Willow interrupted her.

"His name is Ethan Rayne", the wicca said.

Rika shook her head. "Doesn't ring a bell."

"He's a very bad guy. He came after Buffy a few times. We always managed to fight him back, but the last time, he disappeared. It was many years ago. We haven't heard from him since, until a few weeks ago", Willow explained. The wicca was worried. Sam could tell. And if she was as powerful as Rika had said she was, and she was nervous, it had to be bad.

"Who is he? A demon?", Sam asked. It was the first time he'd asked Willow anything.

Willow looked at him briefly and then back at Rika. "His background is a long story. But I think you need to hear it to fully understand him. Ethan Rayne is human, even though his behavior doesn't exactly suggest it."

The redhead paused before continuing, as if she was trying to decide what to say. "He's a skilled chaos magician. Really dark magicks, demonology, transmogrifications, curses, that sort of thing. Back in the '70s, he met Giles, Buffy's Watcher, and they became friends."

"But Giles is–", Rika began but was yet again interrupted.

"You need to understand that Giles was young. He'd just dropped out of Oxford and he sought out the worst possible crowd to hang out with. I guess you could say he was experimenting and trying to find his personal boundaries. I guess he got into something Xander called an 'electric Kool-Aid funky Satan groove'."

Willow shook her head and smiled to herself, apparently at the thought of Xander. Sam didn't know much of Xander, other than him being a friend of Buffy's and that Rika had found him funny.

"Anyways, they started out with small magicks, until Giles and Ethan discovered a demon called Eyghon. They'd take turns falling asleep and the rest of the group would summon Eyghon into the sleeper. Giles's told me it was sort of an euphoric high. Then things went horribly wrong. The demon took over one of the group members. They tried to exorcise him, but the man Eyghon was possessing died. The death of his friend changed Giles, and he left the others. He went to the Watchers' Council and became who he is today. Giles is a good man, but he was young and stupid. Who of us weren't? Ethan on the other hand…"

"Let me guess. He went into another direction?", Rika asked.

"Yeah, you could say that. He continued with the black magic, and became really powerful. Years later, Eyghon returned and tried to kill everyone who was left of the group, including Giles. Buffy and Angel managed to beat back the demon and Ethan escaped. He bugged us a few times after that."

"So what did he want with Caroline? And what does that headstone with my name got to do with anything?", Rika asked and once more furrowed her brow. They had now come to the part of Willow's story that was most interesting to Sam and Rika, even though they both had listened with fascination up to that point.

"Rika, I– I'm afraid Caroline was a sacrifice. A casualty. I'm not sure Ethan had any real purpose in killing her, other than luring you in", Willow said. She looked at Sam and Rika and her eyes spoke on her behalf. There was some deep sadness inside them. The redhead had seemed so chipper at first. All of that had changed within half an hour.

"So you're sayin' this was a trap for Rika?", Sam asked in confusion. This was an odd puzzle and he just couldn't figure it out. Pieces were still missing.

"Yes."

"What does he want from me?", Rika asked.

"He wants you dead. And he'll stop at nothing. He's grown much more powerful since we faced him last. And he needs you for something."

"For what?", Sam asked.

"I'm not sure yet. Some sort of ritual. At least, that's what I and this coven I know are figuring."

"But why me?", Rika asked. "Why not Buffy or Faith? He doesn't even know me!"

"Because you're the lonely Slayer. Or at least, that's what he thought when he set things in motion. He probably figured you'd be an easier target. But now you got Sam and his brother and you're not alone. You gotta understand Rika, the blood of a Slayer is one of the most powerful and most desired things in the world of black magicks. They could do a whole lot of damage if they were able to sacrifice a Slayer."

"What are we going to do now?", Sam asked.

"Nothing", said Willow. "You guys should leave town. I have a few powerful wiccas arriving soon. We'll handle Ethan. There's nothing you can do. He's human, so technically you can't do anything about him. We're going to attempt stripping him of his powers, or some thingymajig like that. Just pack your bags, leave town and don't look back."

"But you'll need our help, Will. I can't let you do this without me. I'm part of this", Rika argued.

Sam touched her arm and looked at Willow. She nodded at Sam and he nodded back. They had a mutual understanding. Sam knew he had to get her out of there.

"Rika, Willow's right. There's nothing we can do. Let's leave this to the wiccas. I need you safe and in one piece. I ca– I can't lose you. Call me selfish, but that's just the way it is. I've handled more than enough loss in my lifetime. I need more time with you. I can't have time running out all of the time. Please." He was pleading to her. He didn't care. He needed her to listen to him. Just this once.

Rika was quiet for a while. She knew Willow and Sam were right. "Alright."

"Really?", Sam asked.

"Yeah, alright. I'll do whatever you guys want me to do. Just promise me you'll call if things get ugly and you need help, Will, okay?", Rika said and looked up.

"I promise", Willow said and nodded. Then she smiled. "Don't worry, Rika. We'll handle this. It's better if you're not here. We can't have you get hurt."

"I don't want you to get hurt because of me either", Rika said, her voice filled with concern.

"I won't get hurt. I'm tougher than I look", Willow said and fired off a wide, bright smile. "Now, pack your bags and get the heck outta here!"

Rika let Sam pulled her up from the bed. Quickly he packed all their belongings and swung the duffel bags over his shoulder. He took Rika's hand. "C'mon, honey. We gotta find Dean."

"Yeah", she said and nodded thoughtfully. Then she let go of his hand and ran up to Willow. She gave the wicca a tight hug. "Call me", she said. "Promise?"

"I promise", Willow said and nodded. "I'll see you soon, Ricky."

Rika laughed. "Don't ever call me that again or I swear I'll kick your wicca ass."

Willow laughed too. "That's that. Now you really need to leave. Before it's too late."

And with those words, Rika and Sam where out the door. They didn't look back. Sam picked up his cellphone and called his brother.

"Dean? Drop whatever you're doing. We're leavin'", he said.

"_The hell?_", Dean said on the other end. "_Why?_"

"It's a long story. I'll fill you in on the details. Just get to the motel ASAP."

Dean sighed. "_Alright. This had better be good, Samantha._"

"Just get here, jerk."

"_Bitch._"

* * *

**A/N:** Not even I'm sure how to feel about this chapter. It didn't turn out quite as I had hoped. There are still some loose ends left untied, but I'll get to that later. I swear. Just bear with me a for a moment, alright? I promise I'll get the next chapter up asap.


	26. Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking: Fresh Bl I

**A/N:** The plot thickens. More Buffy characters thrown into the bunch. There's a bigger picture in this fic. You might not see it yet, but I assure you, it'll be revealed sooner or later.

* * *

**Chapter 25 – Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking (Fresh Blood Part I)**

* * *

_I've got this feeling that there's something that I missed  
(I could do most anything to you...)  
Don't you breathe  
Something happened, that I never understood  
You can't leave  
Every second, dripping off my fingertips  
Wage your war  
Another soldier, says he's not afraid to die  
Well I am scared  
In slow motion, the blast is beautiful  
Doors slam shut  
A clock is ticking, but it's hidden far away  
Safe and sound_

Snow Patrol – Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking

* * *

Willow watched Sam and Rika leave, and then drew a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the motel bed. She looked up as she heard the door creak and open. The short, a bit funny-looking man entered. He was still wearing that old-fashioned hat and a dress shirt with an ugly retro pattern underneath a suit jacket.

"Did you get 'em to leave?", the man asked with his easily distinguishable New Yorkean accent.

"I don't like lying to her, Whistler. She's my friend", Willow said and looked at him with a deadpan expression. "I should've told her what was really going on."

Whistler's eyes widened. "You can't tell 'er, Willow. She can't know anythin' until it's time. We'll handle Ethan Rayne now. He was an unforeseen… Problem, that needs to be handled. You return to Europe. Pretend like you know nothin' about this, alright?"

"I can't just leave her stranded like this! She needs to know. She deserves to know!", Willow argued. "She'll be helpless otherwise. And poor Sam. And his brother. And this is all too much, even for me. I can't even… I don't understand why I can't tell her. If she doesn't know what's coming… How's she going to fight it? And what if she doesn't want to do what you people have planned for her? She deserves a choice! She needs to be ready! What's the point of all this secrecy?"

"Bottom line is even if you see 'em coming, you're not ready for the big moments. No one asks for their life to change, not really. But it does. So what, are we helpless? Puppets? No. The big moments are gonna come, can't help that. It's what you do afterwards that counts. That's when you find out who you are. You'll see what I mean. Eventually. Now, go back to Europe. Pretend like none of this ever happened. Tell Buffy you've handled Ethan. She can't know either. She's gonna want to tell Rika."

"But…"

"No buts, Willow. Do as I say. You can't change what's comin'. What's gonna be is gonna be."

With those words Whistler walked away, leaving a confused wicca staring after him.

"I still don't like the lying thingy. I'm not a good liar", Willow muttered to herself before she let herself bounce down on the bed. She closed her eyes.

* * *

"I dunno, man. I still think we shoulda stayed and watch everythin' play out. This whole thing sounds kinda iffy to me", Dean deadpanned and ran a hand through his tousled hair.

"Dean, all I care about right now is Rika's safety. Some guy big on the dark mojo was after her. Isn't it better for her to be outta harm's way?", Sam argued.

"She is standing right here", Rika interjected. "And I agree with Dean. We should've stayed."

"See, Samantha. Two against one", Dean added with a smirk.

"What's up with the two of you lately? Do you wanna get yourselves killed?", Sam replied.

Rika could tell he was getting frustrated, and she figured it was better to just humour him. "Alright, alright. What's done is done anyways. What'd Bela want when she called?", she asked Dean, trying to change the topic.

"She wanted to know where we were. Said she had somethin' important to tell us."

"And you told her?", Rika asked and raised a brow. "Good job, Diana."

"Well… Uh, Yeah." Dean looked slightly stupified.

"Why do I get a feelin' you're gonna regret givin' her that information?", Sam asked and scratched his head.

"Because knowing her, she'll probably screw us over the first chance she gets. Again", Rika added. "God, she's one of the most annoying people I've ever had the non-pleasure of meeting…"

Sam chuckled.

"Hey, hey, hey! You don't know that…", Dean said and looked slightly embarrassed.

"Really now?", Rika and Sam said in chorus. They looked at each other with a slightly smile.

"Alright, she probably will. But we'll handle it if she does", Dean said, trying to patch up the situation. "Now, can we just concentrate on this case?"

"Yeah. So, vampires, right?", Rika asked.

"Yeah, at least, that's my theory. Several young blonds have gone missing over the past few weeks", Sam explained, instantly switching over to geek mode. "We have a trail of corpses to follow."

Rika gave him a bright smile. "Awesome. I've been itching to kick some good old vampire butt."

* * *

"_I hate vampires_", Rika thought later that night as she and the boys ran through a dark alley. Then she saw him. The man lying on the ground a few feet ahead.

Hurriedly, she ran up to him, the boys close behind her. He was bleeding from his neck. "_Great, a love bite_", she thought as the three of them crouched over the unknown man. He was unconscious, but he whimpered. He was probably in a lot of pain.

"Hush", Rika said and pressed a piece of cloth against his neck, to stop the bleeding.

"Hey, hey, don't worry. We're gonna call you some help, alright?", Sam said next to her, trying to calm the man down. He'd instantly switched into his heroic, compassionate mode.

"Where is she?", Dean asked the man. "Where'd she go?"

The unknown man gestured vaguely down the alley. Dean got up and ran off.

"Dean!", Rika yelled. "Dammit. Sam, stay here. I'm gonna go after him before he gets himself killed."

"Yeah, sure", Sam said and took the cloth from her as she ran after Dean.

Rika didn't see Dean anywhere, but there was only one direction he could've gone. In the distance she could hear footsteps, someone running. It was probably Dean.

Her suspicion was confirmed only seconds later as she heard him yell. "Smell that? Come and get it!"

Rika kept moving to the sound of Dean's voice, hurrying as much as she could. His voice got louder and she knew she was getting closer. "That's right. C'mon. I smell good, don't I? I taste even better. C'mon, free lunch!"

Rika arrived to the alley just in time to see the blonde vampire female charge and jump Dean, about to sink her teeth into his neck. Rika got ready to jump the vampire and get her off Dean when he plunged a syringe into the vampirette's neck. She convulsed, her eyes rolling back into her head before she collapsed on the ground, unconscious. Dead man's blood.

Dean turned and looked at Rika. His eyes were expressionless as he pressed against the self-inflicted wound on one of his arms with his other hand. Rika heard footsteps behind her, and it wasn't long before Sam was at her side.

He frowned at his brother. "Cutting it a little close, dontcha think?", he asked.

Dean shrugged and smirked. "Ah, that's just chum in the water. Worked, didn't it?"

Sam rolled his eyes. Rika just shook her head. "Let's just get her back to the motel before she regains consciousness, shall we?"

Dean nodded and crouched over the vampire. "Damn shame", he muttered as he looked at the blonde woman. She wasn't human anymore.

As soon as they'd arrived to the motel, they'd lined the windows with the mattresses from the beds, blocking out all external light. And insight into the room. Rika had tied the vampire to a chair in the middle of the room, using her best knot. The three of them were circling the vampire as she began to flicker her eyes.

"You with us?", Dean asked as the vampirette woke up fully. Her eyes widened in fear and shock as she struggled against her bonds. She wouldn't be going anywhere ever again, though.

And Dean felt the need to state that. "Yeah, sorry, you're not goin' anywhere", he deadpanned and stared at the shape tied to the chair.

"Where's your nest?", Sam asked.

The vampirette just looked at them as if they were insane or something. "What?", she asked, her voice a hoarse whisper.

"Your nest", Dean said without even flinching. "Where you and your bloodsucking pals hang out."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Please! I don't feel good…", the woman pleaded. Rika knew she was close to tears.

"Yeah, well, you're gonna feel a hell of a lot worse if we give you another shot of dead man's blood", Dean shrugged.

"Just let me go", the vampirette whimpered.

"You know we can't do that", Rika said softly.

"I'm telling the truth! I'm just… I took something. I'm freaking out! I don't know what's going on!" A tear fell down her cheek.

"You took something?", Sam asked and furrowed his brow. He shot a glance towards Rika. She was looking a bit taken back.

The vampirette was freaking out. Completely. "Yes!", she yelled, her voice suddenly more high-pitched. "I can't… Come down. I just want to come down!"

Poor woman. She thought she was high. Rika was beginning to realize that the vampirette was telling the truth. She had no idea of what she had become. "Calm down", Rika interjected and then added more softly. "What's your name?"

"Lucy", the woman replied and swallowed a sob. "Please just let me go."

"Alright, Lucy, how about this? If you tell us what happened, we'll let you go", Sam said calmly.

"You will?", Lucy asked and looked confused and surprised. She looked over at Dean. He nodded and then shot Sam a confused look over her head. There was no way they'd be letting her go.

"Uh, I don't really…", Lucy continued, reassured by Dean's nod. "Uhm, it's not that clear. I was at Spider."

"Spider?", Rika asked and crossed her arms over her chest.

"The club. On Jefferson", Lucy explained. She'd calmed down a bit. "And there was this guy… He was buying me drinks."

"This guy…", Sam begun. "What's he look like?"

"He was old, like thirty", Lucy explained. Mentally Rika chuckled. When Lucy had been a human girl, she'd probably been as much of a stereotypical dumb blonde as they came. "He had brown hair, a leather jacket… Deacon or Dixon or something. Said he was a dealer… He had something for me."

"Something?", Rika asked and shot a look at Sam. She was starting to see where Lucy's story was headed.

"Something new", Lucy continued with a nod. "'Better than anything you've ever tried.' He put a few drops in my drink."

"Was the drug red and thick?", Dean deadpanned and Lucy nodded. "Well, genius move there. That was vampire blood he dosed you with."

"What?", Lucy asked and stared at them in confusion.

"You just took a big shot of the nastiest virus out there", Dean elaborated. He looked at Rika and Sam and then back at Lucy.

"You're crazy!", she exclaimed. "He gave me roofies or something! No… The next thing I know, we're at his place, and he says he's gonna get me something to eat, just wait. But I get _so_ hungry."

"Let me guess, you busted out of there?", Rika asked.

Lucy nodded energetically. "But it won't wear off… Whatever he gave me."

"Lights are too bright? Sunshine hurt your skin?", Dean asked for confirmation.

"Yeah…", Lucy nodded once more and looked intently at Dean. "And smells… And I can… Hear blood pumping."

"_Poor thing_", Rika thought. Being turned a vampire was one of the worst horrible fates she could imagine. And eternity of hunger and blood and being an… Animal. It was horrible. How dumb a blonde this girl had been when she was still alive… She didn't deserve this. No one did.

"I hate to tell you this, sweetheart, but your blood's never pumping again", Dean said with a slight sarcastic chuckle.

"Not mine… Yours", Lucy elaborated. "I can hear a heart beating from half a block away. I just want it to stop."

"It's not going to stop", Dean said, a flicker of disgust in his eyes. "You've already killed two people… Almost three."

"No, I couldn't", Lucy shook her head. "I was hallucinating!"

"You killed them, alright?" Rika could tell Dean was starting to lose his temper. No good. "We've been followin' a sloppy trail of corpses, and it leads straight to you."

"No. No, it wasn't real! It was the drug! Please! Please, you have to help me!", Lucy argued. She was frustrated and scared and starting to freak out again. This had been going on for too long.

Sam jerked his head at Rika and Dean. All three of them got up to leave. "No, no…", Lucy pleaded in the chair.

Sam spoke once they got into the next room. "Poor girl."

"Yeah, tell me about", Rika said and shook her head. "She didn't deserve this."

"We got no choice", Dean deadpanned and picked up his machete. Rika and Sam nodded at him as he went back into the room Lucy was in.

"No, please!", she yelled exasperatedly. Rika and Sam watched as Dean raised his machete. They flinched at the sound of Lucy getting decapitated. Sam wrapped his arms around Rika.

* * *

"So, what's the plan?", Dean asked.

"I have one, but you two aren't going to like it", Rika said and looked at both of the Winchesters.

There was a moment of silence while Sam scanned her face. "Let's hear it", Sam said with a sigh.

"As far as we know, he picks them up at that club, Spider", she begun calmly.

"Yeah… What's your point?", Dean asked and looked at her suspiciously.

"Well, and we know his type", she continued. "Me. Young blondes."

"So you're sayin' we should use you as bait to lure him out?", Dean asked.

"Bingo", Rika said and fired off a bright smile.

Sam looked at her before he shook his head. "Rika, no. It's too risky."

"No, Sam, it's not. It's a good plan. It's one vampire. One. I've taken on more than that at once. Not to mention my being a Slayer with super powers. I can do this. Please. It's the best plan we have."

"Sammy, I hate to admit it, but she's got a point", Dean said and cleared his throat. He leaned back against the table and crossed his arms. "We'll be there, keeping an eye on her. All we gotta do is get him out of the bar, away from people and then we can whack him. She'll be completely safe.

Sam looked at Dean. Then back at Rika who gave him her sweetest smile. She could tell he was resigning. He sighed and stared into her eyes. "Alright, fine. But if anythin' goes wrong, we abort. Is that okay?"

Rika nodded and smiled. "Yeah, it's more than okay. Thanks Sam." She walked up to him and hugged him. He held her a little tighter than he should've.

"Just be careful, alright?", he whispered into her ear.

"You know me", she murmured. "I always am."

* * *

"I'm ready."

Sam turned around and watched as Rika exited the bathroom. The sight in front of him left him breathless. She was wearing a tight, forest green, silky dress. It was strapless and ended at half her thighs. She'd draped her hair over her shoulder and was wearing a pair of black stilettos and a matching black purse.

"Cat got your tongue?", she asked, a teasing smirk playing on her lips.

"I, uh, I just– Wow."

"That nice, huh?", she asked and tiptoed next to him in order to kiss his cheek.

"I swear to God, if that vampire lays one finger on you…", Sam said and shook his head.

"Don't worry. It won't get that far. I'll kick his ass before he comes anywhere near touching me."

"You had better", Sam growled. "C'mon. Dean's waiting."

He took her hand as they got out of the motel room. He had a bad feeling about their plan. But he trusted Rika and her judgment. He was going to protect her. No harm was to come to her. He just couldn't see her get hurt.

* * *

Sam frowned as he watched the vampire flirting with Rika. She was sitting at the bar, and the vampire Deacon or Dixon or whatever was sitting so close to her. Sam and Dean knew he was the guy, Rika had given them the secret signal as they watched the scene play out from the back of the club.

Rika was laughing and flirting back, and even though Sam knew it was only an act, it killed him to see her like that with another man. There was something about Rika that brought out the caveman from within. She was free and independent, and he wouldn't even think the thought that he owned her. He wasn't sure no one ever could, but still, even imagining other guys looking at her made him feel like crap. He felt a need to protect her from guys he knew were only after one thing.

"She loves _you_, Sammy", Dean said next to him. Once again Dean knew Sam well enough to know exactly what he was thinking. "She's just stickin' to the plan."

"Yeah, I know", Sam said, not once taking his eyes off of Rika and the vampire. Suddenly Rika laughed and the vampire placed his hand on her lower waist. Inside, Sam was boiling. He wanted the vampire to take his hands off his girlfriend, now.

Rika and the vampire got up, making it towards the exit. "C'mon, man, we gotta go", Sam said and pulled at Dean's sleeve.

"Yeah", Dean said and downed the last of his whiskey before he and Sam followed Rika and the vampire outside.

They kept their distance, they didn't want to raise any suspicion. Once outside Spider, Sam and Dean thought they'd lost sight of Rika and the vampire, until Dean noticed them heading into an alley. Dean nudged Sam's arm and nodded in their direction. "Hey."

In a hurry the Winchesters followed. They entered the alley just in time to see the vampire smirk as he held a dropper full of red liquid near Rika.

She giggled. "You're sick."

"You ready, sweetie?", he asked, looking all smug. "One taste of this and you'll never be the same."

Rika gave him a sweet smile right before she punched him in the gut and kicked him right between his legs. Not a drop of the vampire blood had fallen near her. Dean was already by their side and clocked the vampire right in the face before he stomped on the dropper, just to be safe.

Sam pulled Rika away from the vampire. "You okay?", he asked, grabbing both of her arms, and studying her face.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine", she nodded, slightly out of breath.

Dean fought the vampire. Unexpectedly the vampire threw Dean into a brick wall and took off running. Sam ran over there to help him up. "Dean!", he exclaimed worriedly.

"I'm good. C'mon", Dean said. Rika kicked off the stilettos and they started running after the vampire. They made it around the corner, and the vampire was nowhere in sight.

But right in front of them were two figures Sam and Dean instantly recognized as Gordon Walker and his friend Kubrick. They had guns at their sides. Rika looked confused for a moment, before she realized who Gordon was. Sam and Dean had told her about him. They hadn't used many words and only given her the basics, but she knew enough to know Gordon wasn't a friend.

Gordon raised his gun and smirked.

* * *

**A/N: **Oh, how I love leaving you with cliffies.


	27. A Vampire's Lament: Fresh Blood II

**A/N:** In the first part of this story, How To Save A Life, I applied the rules how to kill vampires from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But, I realized, that for this story to work, I need to apply Supernatural's rules of vampire killing. It's not consistant, I know, and I apologize. Also, this chapter is about a thousand words longer than the previous one. Heh.

* * *

**Chapter 26 – A Vampire's Lament (Fresh Blood Part II)**

* * *

_I am the walking dead heartbreaker, my apologies  
I'm happy you'll never understand  
what it's like to be trapped under six feet of  
solid glass. I can see out, but no one gets in_

_Screaming at the prison  
I've locked myself into  
I'm sorry that I'm still breathing.  
and that I'll kill again_

_but the loneliness is too much for me to handle.  
the taste of fresh blood pushes me on_

_I told myself the constant pain  
could ease the tension burning inside  
But the nights were cold and the days dragged to weeks  
I will die here alone I will die_

_The fear of romance  
The pain of living  
The joy of sorrow  
The strength of not forgiving_

_God help me I'm so tired  
but in my dreams the wolves ate out my soul  
God help me I'm so frightened  
but in my dreams the wolves tear out my heart_

_I used to be golden, a saint in a time of sorrow  
but then the turning came and I kissed the sun goodbye  
don't you get it it's always darker in my eyes,  
the screams of my brothers egging me on_

Atreyu – A Vampire's Lament

* * *

Sam, Dean and Rika dove in behind some parked cars as Gordon and his friend kept shooting at them. Rika felt a bullet miss her head with only a couple of centimeters just before she crouched down next to Sam and Dean against a brick wall.

"Why the heck is this guy after you guys again?", Rika asked Dean.

"Gordon thinks Sammy's the anti-Christ. Also, we got him sent to jail", Dean replied calmly. "Kubrick... Well, I guess he's just in for the kicks or something."

"Oh."

They waited for a few seconds, breathing heavily, and Rika carefully glanced around the corner just to see Gordon and Kubrick reloading their weapons. And then she got an idea. "You two, run. I'll draw them off."

Sam's eyes widened in horror and he grabbed a hold of her arm. "What? You're crazy!"

"I'll make it, don't worry. I'm really fast, remember?" She broke off the heels on her stilettos and ripped up a slit at the side of her dress, so she got more space to move her legs.

Sam protested. His hand clung to her arm, not wanting to let her go. "No, Rika, please don't."

Rika ignored him. "See you two back at the motel."

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before she darted right into the line of fire. Gordon and Kubrick were shooting at her, her plan was working. She leaped up on top of a car and ran across the roof, using it to get over a second-story parking lot entrance. She could hear one of the hunters running after her, not being able to make out whether it was Gordon or Kubrick. She just ran as fast as she could, not once looking back. She wasn't worried about herself, her only concern being whether Sam and Dean had gotten away unharmed.

* * *

Sam was pacing around the motel room, worried sick. His heart was racing and he couldn't manage to sit down. He and Dean had arrived back at the motel an hour and a half ago. Rika wasn't back yet, and Sam was afraid something had happened to her and couldn't help wondering if Gordon had gotten to her. Gordon wanted him dead, not Rika, and he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if Rika would get hurt because of him. Dean was sitting on a chair, rolling his thumbs. He hadn't said anything, but Sam knew Dean was worried too.

Then finally, the door to the room opened, and Rika entered, locking the door behind her. Sam stopped pacing. "There you are!"

He ran towards her and pressed his lips to hers in a firm, desperate kiss. Then he hugged her tightly before he pulled away and ran his hands across her arms and stomach and scanned both her face and body with his eyes, checking for wounds.

"I don't have a scratch on me Sam, stop worrying", she said and looked at him.

"Nice move you pulled back there, Rika, running right at the weapons", Dean said while getting up from his chair. "I was actually thinking 'bout doin' the same thing."

Sam glared at Dean, and then turned his attention back to Rika. "What took you so long to get back? I thought they– That they–"

"Gordon's friend followed me for several blocks, I had to shake him off. Sorry."

Sam was still worried, apparently he had two people who liked to go on suicide missions on his hands. "Promise me you'll never pull something like that again."

She just sighed and Sam wasn't exactly calmed by her short response. "Sure."

"So, I guess Gordon's out of jail", Dean shrugged, wanting to move on in their discussion.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so. You know, how the hell did he know where to find us?", Sam asked and put his arm around Rika's waist, keeping her close to his side. He couldn't help but to feel like he had almost lost her just there, and it hurt him more than he could describe.

Then Dean looked just as if he realized something. "That bitch."

He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and dialed a number. "Hi, Bela. " He paused, waiting for Bela to say something. "Question for you. When you called me yesterday, it wasn't to thank me for saving your ass, was it?"

He paused again, waiting for Bela to finish talking. Sam and Rika were listening carefully to the conversation.

"Excuse me? … I don't know, maybe pick up the phone and tell us that a raging psychopath was dropping by! … He tried to kill us!"

Another pause. "There were two of them. Bela, if we make it out of this alive, the first thing I'm gonna do is kill you. … Listen to my voice and tell me if I'm serious."

When he hung up, he turned towards Rika and Sam. It had been a while since they'd seen him that pissed off. "Apparently, Gordon paid Bela to tell him where we were. I'm so going to kick her ass the next time I see her. God, I wish she wasn't a girl, 'cause I don't hit women."

"I do", Rika said looking just as pissed off as Dean. Dean grinned, but they worried Sam. Both of them.

* * *

Later, Dean and Sam were sitting at the motel room table. Dean was using a sharpening stone to sharpen his machete, and Sam was cleaning a gun. Rika had been standing at the window looking outside but now she was calmly hovering next to Sam.

He was very aware of her presence, as always, even though his mind was occupied with other thoughts. He put the gun down on the table and pulled Rika down to sit on his thigh. She placed her legs between his, and he held his arms around her waist, enjoying the feel of her so close to his body – she felt so soft and warm in his arms.

It was moments like these he cherished the most with her – silent, tender and intimate. She was quiet and he was hoping to absorb some of her calmness, he definitely needed it. Even though they didn't always speak, the silence between them was never awkward. Somehow Sam always felt at ease when he was close to Rika, and she had this weird ability to calm his nerves just by being there next to him. "That vampire's still out there, Dean", he said.

"First things first", Dean replied, still sharpening the machete.

"Gordon."

"About that. When we find him, or if he finds us… I'm just saying he's not leaving us a whole lot of options."

Sam knew what Dean meant, and for once he agreed so he replied calmly. "Yeah, I know. We've got to kill him."

Dean looked surprised. "Really? Just like that? I thought you would have been like", he said before continuing with his imitation of a whiny Sam, high-pitched and naggy. "_No, we can't, he's human, it's wrong._"

"No, I'm done. Gordon's not gonna stop until we're dead… or till he is." He glanced towards Rika, who had this look on her face he wasn't quite able to read.

"What're you thinking?", he asked.

"I have a bad feeling about this. But rather him than you", she said while her expression changed to something that looked like concern, even though her tone gave nothing away. In the blink of an eye, the look was gone and she scanned his face.

He ran the back of his palm gently across her cheek and peppered soft kisses on her exposed neck. He didn't want her to worry about him, he felt like it was more of his job to worry about her. He was interrupted by his thoughts when Dean's cellphone suddenly rang.

Dean looked at the caller I.D. and scowled a bit before answering angrily. "What?"

Sam guessed it was Bela again.

"You're a hundred miles away. How the hell did you– … And?", he asked. "Thanks."

He hung up. "Bela tracked down Gordon for us. Warehouse. Two stories, riverfront, neon sign outside."

"Let's go then", Rika said and got up from Sam's lap.

* * *

About twenty minutes later, the trio had found the warehouse. They silently crept down the stairs into a dark, rugged room. Rika, who was automatically in Slayer-mode, noticed the bodies of two hanging from the ceiling in front of them. They were decapitated. She absent-mindedly wondered where the heads were, and shivered slightly.

She felt the presence of the vampire from earlier before she noticed him in front of them, kneeling on the floor. He had his back turned to them. She watched as Dean took a knife from a table in the room, slowly approaching the vampire. The vampire didn't move, but Rika's Slayer sense told her he knew they were there. And she was right.

"Go ahead. Do it. Kill me."

"What happened here?", Sam asked while carefully walking up to the headless bodies.

"Gordon Walker. I never should have brought a hunter here. Never. I just– I just wanted some kind of revenge. Stupid… Exposing him to my family."

"Oh, yeah, you're such a family man", Dean said in disbelief.

"You don't understand."

"I don't want to understand, you son of–"

"I was desperate. You ever felt desperate? I've lost _everyone_ I ever loved. I'm staring down eternity alone. Can you think of a worse hell?"

"Well, there's hell", Rika said, tilting her head to the side a bit, trying to study the vampire. She was still not quite sure of his intentions and she took a few steps forward, but stopped when Sam glared at her worriedly.

"I wasn't thinking. I just, I didn't care anymore. Do you know what it's like when you just don't give a damn? It's like– It's like being dead already. So just go ahead. Do it."

Sam was inspecting the bodies. "Hey, guys. Head wasn't cut off, it was ripped off. With someone's bare hands. Dixon, what'd you do to Gordon?"

Rika hadn't been anticipating this, and she was shocked. She looked at Dixon after exchanging a confused look with Dean. She should've paid better attention to the bodies, noticed it earlier. It had been sloppy of her.

"I made him one of us, just wanted him to understand us better. He had such a low opinion of us, thought it would be better than killing him. Biggest mistake of my life. Well, un-life, I guess."

"That's about enough", Dean said looking slightly shocked. He swung the machete, cutting Dixon's head off and the three of them watched the body and the head fall to the ground. Rika felt slightly sick. Even though Gordon was a creep, nobody deserved that kind of fate.

"Well, this changes things", she said calmly.

"No shit, Sherlock", Dean deadpanned.

* * *

Late the next afternoon, Sam was sitting in the motel room, looking at some maps, trying to figure out where Gordon might be hiding out. Dean and Rika entered the room and Dean took off his jacket while Sam studied the duo. Dean was looking frustrated, but Rika radiated her usual calmness. Sam wondered what the two of them had been talking about while they were gone.

"Man, we must have checked three dozen motels, empty buildings, warehouses… Rika couldn't sense him anywhere either."

"Yeah, me too. Big city."

"Tracking spells won't work either", Rika deadpanned. She was dressed in a white Jefferson Airplane t-shirt, a brown balloon skirt that almost reached her knees, her brown leather jacket and a pair of ballerina flats. She knew how to accentuate her looks with her clothing.

Dean walked over to the sink where he washed his face. "It's like a giant haystack, and Gordon's a deadly needle. We're running out of daylight. Won't have the sun slowing him down."

"Yeah, he'll be unstoppable. Hey, give me your phones", Sam suddenly said.

"What for?", Dean asked and gave his phone to Sam and Rika did the same.

Sam pulled out the SIM cards. "Well, if Gordon knows our cell numbers he can use the cell signal to track us down."

"Oh, yeah, thanks", Rika said.

Sam got up and put all three phones on the floor and stomped on them, while Dean looked out the curtains. Then he walked back towards Rika and Sam looking determined. His look worried Sam, it usually meant he had cooked up some sort of crazy plan. "Sammy, Rika, stay here."

"What? Where you going now?", Sam asked as he watched Dean pull the Colt out of his bag, checking it.

"I'm going after Gordon."

"What?", Sam asked in confusion.

"You heard me."

"Not alone, you're not."

Rika spoke. "The hell you're going after him. If someone's going after him, it'll be me."

"No, you're not going anywhere alone either!", Sam yelled angrily. "Don't you start this too!"

"What? He's a vampire now, I'm the Slayer, you do the math. Slayer. Sword. Neck. Dead vampire."

"No, Rika, you're staying here with Sammy, to keep an eye on him, keep him safe", Dean said. "Sam, I don't need you to sign me a permission slip, okay? He's after you, not me, and he's turbocharged. I want you to stay out of harm's way. I'll take care of it."

"You're not going by yourself, you're gonna get killed!"

"Just another day at the office. It's a massively dangerous day at the office." Dean looked smug while he tightened his shoelaces.

"Sam's right. You should let me–", Rika begun but both brothers turned their heads towards her and interrupted her.

"NO!", they yelled in unison.

"Fine", she turned away, scowled and muttered silent curses as she walked to the other side of the room with her arms crossed. She let the brothers bicker, she didn't want to meddle. She knew Sam was hurt by Dean's constant suicide missions, and she had to admit she wasn't exactly making things easier for him. She was just so concerned about the brothers, especially watching what Sam was currently going through. She made a mental note to have a long talk with him later.

"So, you're the guy with nothing to lose now, huh? Oh wait, lemme guess. Because, uh, it's because you're already dead, right?", Sam yelled at Dean.

"If the shoe fits." Dean shrugged.

"You know what, man? I'm sick and tired of your kamikaze trips."

"Whoa, whoa, kamikaze? I'm more like a ninja." Dean smirked a bit.

"That's not funny."

"It's a little funny."

Sam could see right through Dean, he did care even if he wasn't admitting it. "No, it's not."

"What do you want me to do, Sam, huh? Sit around all day writing sad poems about how I'm gonna die? You know what? I got one. Let's see, what rhymes with 'shut up, Sam'?"

"Dude, drop the attitude, Dean. Quit turning everything into a punch line. And you know something else? Stop trying to act like you're not afraid." Sam was exasperated and frustrated and Rika could tell he was about to snap.

"I'm not!" And Dean was in complete denial. As usual.

"You're lying. You may as well drop it 'cause I can see right through you." The pain inside was becoming too much for Sam to bear, and he tried to blink back tears. He just wished he could get his brother to understand where he was coming from.

"You got no idea what you're talkin' about", Dean retorted, looking slightly aggravated.

"Yeah, I do. You're scared, Dean. You're scared because your year is running out, and you're still going to hell, and you're freaked."

"And how do you know that?"

"Sam, Dean, please–", Rika begun on the other side of the room but Sam interrupted her. He had to remember to apologize to her later, he wasn't exactly treating her well.

"Because I know you!"

"Really?", Dean asked.

"Yeah, I've been following you around my entire life! I mean, I've been looking up to you since I was four, Dean. Studying you, tryin' to be just like my big brother. So yeah, I know you. Better than anyone else in the entire world. And this is exactly how you act when you're terrified. And, I mean, I can't blame you. It's just–"

"What?"

"I wish you would drop the show and be my brother again. 'Cause– Just 'cause."

Rika knew this argument between the Winchesters was good, talking about their feelings. One thing she had noticed while knowing the brothers was that they tended to bottle everything up – typically male. And they had been raised soldiers. Showing emotion was a sign of weakness in their opinion.

Dean's face softened a bit as he scanned Sam's expression. "All right, we'll hole up, cover our scent so he can't track us, and wait the night out here. I'll go out and buy us some new cellphones before it gets dark."

"Sure", Sam nodded, thankful that Dean had finally caved in. When Dean left the room, without the Colt, Sam turned towards Rika who was leaning against one of the walls with her arms crossed. Once again, he wasn't quite able to read her expression.

"I'm sorry we snapped at you. It's just–", he begun but she cut him off.

"It's okay Sam, really. I get it. Don't worry about it. I'm not that easily hurt."

"No, it's _not_ okay. I know why Dean is acting the way he is, but what's up with you? You've been reckless too lately. First that stunt you pulled last night, and now you wanted to go after Gordon all alone. Not to mention the last case we had, and the one before that. Hiding things from me, about your dreams… I can see something's bothering you, and it's killing me that you won't tell me what's wrong! I can't handle both of you running off and trying to get killed all the time."

"I'm not trying to get myself killed."

"No? It seems like it to me!"

"You really wanna know what's bothering me?"

"Yes, Rika, I do. You're supposed to tell me these sorta things!"

"Fine", she deadpanned and stared at the floor. Sam just wished she'd look at him. "I'm worried about the two of you. I can see what you're going through with Dean, and the fact that you're hurting is killing me. I haven't been pouring my heart out to you because you have enough to deal with already, without me making it worse."

"Well, isn't worrying about you kind of my job as your boyfriend?"

"No, it's not. Not in this case. Sam, you can't worry about everyone and everything. You're just making yourself miserable." She paused. "The fact that you don't trust me and my judgment is bothering me. I fought vampires and demons and whatnot for seven years before I met you, so drop the patronizing attitude and let _me _worry about me!"

Rika knew she was rambling now, but since she had already started talking, she didn't want to stop before she got everything out. She wasn't able to bottle her thoughts up anymore.

"I'm the only one in the group with super powers, not to mention my sixth sense when it comes to everything supernatural. I'm the least vulnerable of us three, the best fighter, and I don't get why you can't see that. I could've taken Gordon out by myself. I'm the freaking Slayer, the word is practically synonymous with _alone_. I'm worried about you getting hurt, since you have a raving psycho on your tail. And amongst everything that's going on, some weird black magician wants me dead and I have dreams about my own headstone and it's freaking me out. And I don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore."

"I'm sorry. I trust you with my life and I know that you can take care of yourself. I just– I just don't want to lose you. I lost you once, and I'm about to lose Dean and it's freaking me out. I can't survive without you two."

"You're not going to lose me Sam, I'm not going anywhere. I'm here to stay, even if that's what's gonna kill me. Can't you see that?"

Sam was shocked. He had had no idea what had been bottled up inside of her. He had been so selfish and preoccupied with his own problems that he hadn't even noticed. And whatever he had noticed, he had ignored with the excuse that she was fine if she said she was. Now he knew that wasn't the case. He needed to be more of a boyfriend and friend to her, alongside being a brother to Dean.

He walked up to her and carefully touched her arm. She refused to look at him, instead she was watching the floor with an enormous concentration like it was the most fascinating thing she had ever seen. He placed his hands on her face, trying to make her look into his eyes. She struggled.

Rika was feeling her anger wash away, but she didn't want to forgive Sam just yet. He had absolutely no faith in her skills, so she was putting her best pouty face on. And then, when he hastily kissed the tip of her nose she couldn't keep her poker face on anymore, so she smiled a bit and looked up into his eyes. He was looking incredibly smug with a teasing smile on his lips since he had managed to get a smile out of her, and she playfully punched his arm and he laughed a bit.

"I'm sorry", he said once again and started planting soft, warm kisses on and underneath her jawline and on her neck, sending shivers of pleasure down her spine. He knew exactly where she had her weak spots, and he was taking advantage of it. He placed his mouth right next to her ear and she sighed a bit when his hot breath tickled her ear while he whispered into it. "Just talk me next time, okay?"

"You're aware that this counts as cheating, right?", she said feeling herself resign.

"It's not cheating, all's fair in love and war", he whispered while he put his hands on her hips, starting to trail kisses down her neck. When he reached her collarbone and kissed her silver cross pendant, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He wasn't the only one able to play this game, so she started nibbling a bit on his earlobe while she pushed her pelvis into his, grinding against him slightly before pulling her hips backwards again, losing contact.

"You're torturing me on purpose", he groaned before capturing her lips with his again.

"Uh-huh, serves you right for cheating", she managed to get out into his mouth.

"You know… This skirt is kind of distracting…", he whispered in her ear as his hands moved up her thighs, hiking her skirt up.

"Mmm…" She smiled and let him nip at her neck, pressing against him. Sam's hands moved upwards, in under the skirt, before he grabbed her butt with both hands and picked her up. She wrapped his legs around his waist and he moved towards the bathroom as they peppered each other with frantic kisses.

* * *

"This place smells like make up sex", Dean said as he entered the motel room with a slight smirk.

Rika wondered how the heck he even knew what they'd been up to while he was gone. They'd been done and dressed for fifteen minutes before Dean's return. Then again, with Dean you never knew. He had a sixth sense when it came to this sort of thing. Rika threw a pencil at him and he chuckled as he blocked it with his hand. "Easy there tiger."

He stopped chuckling when Sam gave him a death stare. Instead he threw them the new cellphones. Rika's new one was a hot pink and black Nokia. "Nice", she said.

"Figured you'd like it", Dean smirked as he noticed that Sam was still making cow eyes at Rika. "We should start preparing", he suggested and started barricading the windows.

Sam dug up some incense from one of their bags, to cover up their scent from Gordon. Once it was lit he sat down and crossed his arms. "I guess now we wait."

A couple of hours passed. Dean was sitting on a chair with his feet up on the table, resting his eyes for a bit. He knew Sam and Rika were sitting on the floor, leaning against a wall in each other's embrace. Both of them were reading books, Rika some mystery novel and Sam a book about folklore.

Suddenly Dean jumped as he realized his cellphone was ringing. Sam looked up. "You've had that phone two hours, Dean. Who'd you give the number to?"

Dean shrugged. "Nobody." He then picked up. "Hello?"

"_Dean_." He recognized the voice as Gordon's.

"How'd you get this number?" Dean looked at Rika and Sam, both of them tense and he noticed Sam was taking a tighter hold on Rika.

Rika whispered something to him, she was probably telling him it was Gordon calling, Dean knew she could hear Gordon on the other end with her Slayer hearing. He was still not quite sure how that worked.

"_Your scent's all over the cellphone store. Of course, I can't smell you now. Where are you?"_

"I guess you'll just have to find us."

"_I'd rather you come to me_."

"What's the matter, Gordo? You're not afraid of us, are you? We're just sitting here. Bring it on!"

"_I don't think so._" Then Dean heard something else on the other line. Something terrible. A crying girl. "_Please. Please_."

Dean heard Gordon shush the girl and then he continued. "_Factory on riverside off the turnpike. Be here in twenty minutes or the girl dies. Also, bring that pretty little blonde who was with you and Sam. She gave Kubrick quite a run. I'd very much like to meet her._"

Dean watched as Rika tensed even more, and that Sam sensed it. He whispered a 'What's wrong?' to her, but Rika just shook her head and Sam looked back at Dean.

"Gordon, let the girl go."

"_Bye, Dean_."

"Gordon! Don't do this. You don't kill innocent people. You're still a hunter."

"_No. I'm a monster_." Then Dean heard the signal on the other end. Gordon had hung up.

"What's going on?", Sam asked worriedly.

"Gordon's got a hostage", Rika explained. "He wants us there in twenty minutes or he's going to kill her."

She didn't mention anything about Gordon's special request that she'd come along, and she shot Dean a glance that said '_Don't say anything'_. Dean didn't, he didn't want to worry Sam – he wouldn't let Rika come with them if he knew. And they would be needing Rika to fight Gordon.


	28. Are You Hurting The One You Love: FB III

**A/N:** I've been working at a newspaper for the past two months, and when I've gotten home, I haven't really felt like writing. My apologies to those of you who actually read this fic.

I've also started a new Supernatural fic called The Swan Dive. You can find it on my profile.

* * *

**Chapter 27 – Are You Hurting The One You Love? (Fresh Blood Part III)**

* * *

_Are you hurting the one you love?  
You say you've found Heaven but you can't find God.  
Are you hurting the one you love?  
Bite your tongue till it tastes like blood._

_Are you hurting the one you love?  
So many glasses on the tabletop.  
Are you hurting the one you love?  
You'd like to stay in heaven but the rules are too tough._

_Tough,  
It's just too tough.  
Tough,  
It's just too tough._

_Are you hurting the one you love?  
When they watched the walls, and the ticking clock.  
Are you hurting the one you love?  
And was it something you could not stop._

_Could not stop.  
Stop,  
Could not stop.  
Stop,  
Could not stop.  
Stop,  
Could not stop.  
Stop,  
Could not stop._

_Are you hurting the one you love?  
When you leave them sleeping on the hollow ground.  
Are you hurting the one you love?  
And lost for themselves._

_Are you hurting the one you love?  
And if heaven knows then who will stop.  
Are you hurting the one you love?  
You said you got to heaven, but it wasn't enough.  
_Florence + The Machine – Are You Hurting The One You Love?

* * *

"I've got a bad feeling about this", Sam deadpanned as they made their way into the warehouse.

Rika was about to reply when they heard a soft whimper. Rika's head immediately tilted towards the sound, and she saw a young blonde girl tied up and gagged by one of the walls. "Over there", she said and motioned towards the girl.

All three of them immediately ran up to Gordon's hostage. Sam and Dean crouched by the girl, while Rika remained standing. She wasn't about to let her guard down.

"Hey, we got you", she heard Sam's soft voice below her. "Don't worry. We're gonna get you out of here."

He helped the girl up. "Get up. Watch your head, watch your head."

Rika looked at the girl, who was sobbing and barely able to walk. All three of them knew it, the girl was slowing them down. Dean gave Rika and Sam a glance before he picked the girl up into his arms. "Sam, Rika, stay close."

Something was wrong. Rika instinctively knew it, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. She shrugged as she followed Dean. She could feel Sam tailing them closely.

Before any of them had time to react, there was a loud slamming noise. Rika quickly turned around, but it was too late. A mechanical door had fallen down between her and Sam, separating them from each other. Rika kicked and pounded at the door, and could hear Sam doing the same on the other side.

"Sam!", she yelped, worried about him. He was locked inside the warehouse, alone. With Gordon the vampire. The vampire who wanted Sam dead.

Sam yelled her name on the other side. Dean had put the girl down on the ground and freed her from her restraints. He joined Rika. "Dammit, Sam!", he yelled.

"It's no use", Rika deadpanned. "The door's not budging. We gotta find another way inside."

"Sammy, we're coming!", Dean yelled and they could hear Sam kick at the door once more in frustration. And then there was silence.

Until… Rika heard muffled voices from inside. "Dean, we gotta hurry. He's not alone in there."

"I know!", Dean growled. "Son of a bitch!"

He looked around and spotted a crowbar. He picked it up and started hacking away at the door. Rika watched, ready to take over when he got tired.

But suddenly her Slayer spidey sense tingled. And before she knew it the hostage girl jumped her and knocked her to the ground. She stared up at fangs and red eyes. Gordon had vampified her. Poor girl. She wasn't human anymore, and Rika knew what had to be done.

Rika kicked vamp girl off of her, and was just about to get up and do some proper asskicking, when she heard a shot fire. She looked at vamp girl, who had a bullet hole in her forehead. With eyes open wide the girl convulsed and Rika heard the crackling of energy rippling through vamp girl's body before she finally fell to the floor. Rika looked back at Dean who was holding the Colt in his hands.

"Smooth", Rika commented.

"Someone had to save your ass", he grinned cockily.

"My ass didn't need saving, thank you very much", Rika deadpanned. "Sam's on the other hand, does."

Dean's expression suddenly darkened, remembering what they were doing. "You're right. Fuck."

"Enough with this shit", Rika muttered and charged at the door. She mustered up all the strength she had when she launched at the door and gave it a proper flying kick. She dropped down on her feet just as the door fell to the ground.

"Nice", Dean said behind her.

"Thanks. C'mon, let's go", she said and rushed inside the warehouse.

She immediately spotted Sam and Gordon fighting. They turned up just in time to see Gordon swing Sam across the room. Rika's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't allow herself to worry. Not now, not when she needed to concentrate.

Dean turned up at her side, aiming the Colt at Gordon's head. But Gordon was faster. He grabbed Dean's gun arm and twisted it backwards, twisting the Colt out of his hand. Dean yelped in pain as Gordon threw him into a wall on the other side of the room.

With eyes open wide in surprise, Rika turned to look at Gordon. Quickly, before she had time to react, he jumped her and pushed her against the wall. She couldn't do anything, it happened so fast. Before she knew it a white hot pain rippled through her body as Gordon sank his teeth into her neck. Rika silently damned herself for being so slow and uncareful, but the thoughts of guilt quickly disappeared as she felt the blood,_ her _blood, run down her neck, making making a path that disappeared in under her shirt.

She tried to struggle against Gordon, but the pain and loss of blood had significantly weakened her. In the distance she heard Sam yelling. "NO!"

Her ears locked and for a moment every sound became so clear, so defined. She was sure she could've heard a needle drop to the floor. The clarity only lasted a second before it was taken away from her and she could barely hear a thing. What she could make out sounded so odd, so distant, shrouded with a mist.

"_Odd_", she thought. "_My hearing is usually better than this._"

She closed her eyes, drew a sharp breath because of the pain and pursed her lips so tight in order to prevent herself from biting her tongue. She felt Gordon sucking at her neck, relentlessly. He didn't give up, he just kept drinking. She was past pain now, past coherent thoughts. Until it struck her. One final moment of clarity.

"_This is it_", she thought. "_This is how I die. Sam…_"

She heard another person yelling and a guttural, primal growl, before she felt Gordon being pulled away from her. Then everything went black as she felt herself slip into unconsciousness. Suddenly there was no more pain. Only darkness.

* * *

Rika heard muffled voices as she felt herself regain consciousness.

"You just charged a super-vamped-out Gordon with no weapon. That's a little reckless, don't you think?" She recognized the voice as Dean's.

"Shut up, Dean", Sam retorted. His voice was masked in concern, and Rika felt a hand press against her neck. "I almost lost her."

"She's gonna be fine, Sammy", Dean calmed his brother. "She's got a pulse and she heals fast. And the son of a bitch didn't bleed on her."

"She's lost alotta blood."

"_Alive. I'm alive_", Rika thought, but she couldn't open her eyes just yet. Nor speak. "_I only fainted. Completely normal when it comes to bloodloss. It's happened to you before, Dumbo._"

An arm slipped underneath her waist, lifting her up slightly. A gentle hand wiped her fringe out of her face. A soft voice filled with concern. "Rika… C'mon, open your eyes. Can you hear me?"

Rika flickered her eyes open, only to be met by Sam's hazel irises, instantly relieved. She furrowed her brow. "Why's there blood splatter all over your face?"

Dean chuckled. "Told ya she'd be fine."

Sam ignored him and kissed Rika's forehead softly. "I thought I'd lost you", he murmured.

"I don't go down that easily", she mumbled and gave him a weak smile as she rubbed her forehead with one hand and instantly made to push herself up from the floor with the other.

Sam looked at his girlfriend. She didn't exactly look her radiant self. She was so pale, and there was dried blood all over her neck. He was pressing against the bite with his palm, trying to keep her from losing more blood.

He supported her weight as she got up from the floor. "Urgh", she muttered as she held on to his arm and pinched her eyes shut ever so tightly.

"You alright? I can carry you", Sam suggested and looked at her with concerned eyes. "Can you walk?"

"Yes, Sam, I can walk. I have a love bite on my neck. Doesn't mean my legs are paralyzed."

"_Sarcasm. That's a good sign_", Sam thought.

"Ha-ha, very funny", he said with a slight pout and a clenched jaw. "You could've died."

Rika smiled at him affectionately, her gaze soft as she looked at him. She reached up to touch the side of his face. "Comes with the job. I'm okay, Sam. Just stop worrying, alright?"

"I love you, can't stand to see you hurt. It's just too much."

"I love you too."

Dean cleared his throat. "Hey, no chick flick moments in front of me, alright? You can be all mushy in private later. Now, can we get the hell outta here?"

Rika nodded. "Yeah. Sorry."

"You sure you don't want me to carry you to the car?", Sam asked and looked at her inquisitively.

She sighed. "Seriously, I'm fine. Just in desperate need of a shower and a change of clothes. Let's go."

Sam finally let go of the subject and they started walking out of the warehouse.

"Aww dammit, I really liked this shirt", Rika muttered to herself. "Bloodstains are impossible to get out."

* * *

Dean was working something under the hood on the Impala. The sun was scorching hot and a drop of sweat fell down Sam's forehead as he opened up their cooler and pulled out two bottles of beer and a bottle of cider. He opened one of the beer bottles and passed it over to Dean.

"Here you go", he said while he sat down on the cooler.

Dean accepted the bottle and nodded. "Thanks."

"Figure out what's making that rattle yet?" Sam looked up as he heard Rika's voice.

She walked up to them, wearing a pair of denim shorts with a white t-shirt, gorgeous as usual. The only thing ruining the picture was the bandaid on her neck in the place Gordon had bit her.

She kissed Sam's forehead, and before he handed her the cider he stole a kiss from her lips. She smiled and winked. "Thanks", she mouthed without sound.

"No, not yet", Dean replied from under the hood. "Sam, give me a box wrench, would ya?"

Sam looked around and picked up the wrench from Dean's toolbox, handing it to his brother. "Yeah. There you go."

"Thanks." Dean took the wrench and looked slightly thoughtful. "Sam."

"Wrong one?" Sam furrowed his brow and made to reach for the toolbox.

Dean shook his head. "No. C'mere for a second."

Sam shared a confused look with Rika before he got up from the cooler. "Yeah."

She took his place on the cooler and watched as Sam walked up to Dean, he too looking under the hood.

Dean made a gesture, pointing at something underneath the hood. "This rattle could be a couple of things. I'm thinking it's an out-of-tune carb."

"Okay", Sam said, still confused.

"All right, see this thing? It's a valve cover. Inside are all the parts that are on the head. Hand me that socket wrench?"

Sam obeyed.

"All right, you with me so far?", Dean continued.

"Yeah, uh, valve cover covers the heads." Sam nodded in understandment.

"Very good. This is your intake manifold, and on top of it?" Dean paused, waiting for Sam's answer.

Rika noticed Sam smiling fondly, like he remembered something he hadn't thought of in years. "It's, uh, a carburetor."

Dean smiled and nodded. "A carburetor… Very good."

"What's with the auto shop?", Sam asked and crinkled his forehead while smiling. Dean handed him the socket wrench. "You don't mean you want–"

"Yeah, I do. You fix it", Dean said with a wide grin.

"Dean, you barely let me drive this thing", Sam said with a shake of his head.

"Well, it's time. You should know how to fix it. You're gonna need to know these things for the future. And besides, that's my job, right? Show my little brother the ropes?"

Sam just nodded and took the wrench, leaning in and starting to unscrew. Dean took a step back, watching his brother. "Put your shoulder into it."

Rika didn't say a word. She only watched, with an affectionate look in her eyes, the two brothers bond. None of them was saying it, but they all knew what Dean was doing. He wanted Sam to be able to take care of the Impala, his precious car, after he was gone. This was Dean's legacy, his will.

Thinking about Dean going to hell and how it would destroy Sam almost brought tears to Rika's eyes. She prayed that things wouldn't come to that. She prayed there was a way to save Dean, because she just knew that one brother wouldn't be whole without the other. They needed each other like all living things need air.

She had to save them. Both of them.


End file.
